What If This Storm Ends
by thewinchestergospel
Summary: Sequel to Chase The Dark Together. The Winchesters and Blackwoods are back. While Sam and Ella adjust to married life and the surprises that come with it, Dean adjusts to life without Oshea and Oshea adjusts to her newfound career as a crossroads demon.
1. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be

Chapter One.

Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be.

* * *

_CROW AGENCY, MONTANA_

Oshea Blackwood could suddenly breathe. She began coughing as fresh air- air untainted by the stench of burning flesh, blood and sulfur- poured into her lungs. Her lashes fluttered over her weak eyes, and she blinked in the dim light issuing from behind the crimson shade of the lamp on the nightstand by the bed. As her vision began to clear, she looked about the room, taking in the dark wallpaper that blanketed the walls, the dark carpet, the blood-red sheets and comforter of the bed she was sprawled upon. She trembled violently, curling her arms around her waist as she turned herself onto her side and drew her knees to her chest. What was this, some kind of new torture? She coughed violently and brought her hands to her throat. It felt like it was on fire. Stretching out her legs, she pushed herself to her feet and staggered drunkenly toward a doorway at the end of the room. She fell against the doorframe and sank to her knees, crawling forward and grasping the edge of the counter. Pulling herself up, she leaned her elbows against the counter, reaching over and turning on the faucet. She pushed her face under the faucet, closing her eyes as the frigid water poured onto her skin and into her cracked lips. After gulping at the liquid for what seemed like ages, she lifted her head and looked into the mirror. Water dripped down her cheeks and chin, dripping into the sink. She tilted her head, staring at her reflection; she blinked and her eyes suddenly became a deep red. She screamed and jerked back, through the doorway, stumbling back into the room.

"Well, hello again doll. Fancy meeting you here."

She whirled around, still trembling. "C-Crowley?" She whispered, her throat a bit raw from lack of use.

"Ah, so you do remember me. Can't blame you, darling," He shrugged. "A face like this is hard to forget," He said with a wink. "Well, let's get right to the questions, then, I'm sure you have plenty."

She looked around the room again then back to Crowley. "Yes, I… is this real? Am I really back? And… how did this happen?"

"Yes, yes, and how it happened, not important," He replied with a shrug. "Point is, you, my dear, have been hand picked to work as a crossroad demon, right by my side. My apprentice, I suppose you could say. Apparently, someone down there thought you were _special, _so they've arranged a deal. They bring you back, you get a hundred souls, and then we return you to your pathetic, self-destructive, mortal life."

She stared at him, her brows furrowing deeply. "I'm… I-I'm a crossroads demon?"

Crowley rolled his eyes and then stared at her incredulously. "By George I think she's got it." He leaned against the wall, taking a moment to glance down at the iPhone in his hand, then tucking it safely away in his suit. "And it's only temporary, by the way. You're not really a demon. The eyes, that's just a neat trick. We can't have you prancing around crossroads without you looking the part, am I right? But you will have the ability to make deals… after some training."

She slowly walked over to the bed, feeling her strength returning, and sat down on the edge of it. "This… is a lot to take in." She said quietly. "I… I just can't believe that I'm back after all this time." She shook her head, pausing before she looked up at him. "Wait… one hundred souls? You… you mean to get back I'm going to have to take people's souls?"

"What in the _bloody hell_ do you think I do for a living, sell Girl Scout Cookies?" He said, raising his voice a little. "Yes. A hundred deals, a hundred souls, and you're home free. But if you don't want to do this, you don't have to…"

She flinched as he raised his voice. Her eyes widened. "What? And go back into the pit? No, no!" She screamed, her hands shaking. "I will not go back, not again." She could almost hear the screams of the people being tortured, her own screams, the smell of burning flesh and hair, and the pain, the unending pain. Though it had only been about a year in the mortal world, it had been a lifetime in Hell. "I'm not going back."

"Guess we better get started then."


	2. Woman In Black

Chapter Two.

Woman In Black.

* * *

Oshea lifted a hand and smoothed away the moisture that had collected on the bathroom mirror. The shower had been comforting and had given her time to clear her head and let the fact that she was alive sink in. She slipped into a tight black strapless dress that fell down to her ankles; a slit cut through the left side of the dress to her hips, exposing her slender leg. Her feet were pressed into heeled shoes. She stared at herself in the mirror, frowning as her fingertips ran over the faint scar on her chest from where she had been stabbed by the demon killing knife. The first thing she had wanted to do was to call Dean and Ella, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that they were better off not knowing. At least until she had met her quota of souls. She was not sure how they would react to seeing her like this. Her red eyes glowed back at her from the mirror, and she looked away. She could not let them see her like this, could not take the chance of them recognizing her if they happened to be in the same area, which was why she had cut her hair. It now hung just below her jaw and was styled to flip out at the ends. She stepped from the bathroom, her heels clicking against the floor. "Alright, Crowley," She said softly. "What do I do?"

"First, stop the bloody moping. It's not attractive on a woman your age. Second, I think we need to have a little talk," He said as he down on the deep red colored couch, crossing one of his legs over his other knee. "You are not to make contact with Sam or Dean Winchester, or your sister, or anyone that knows them. If you think there's the even slightest chance you might try, you might as well jump back in the pit right now."

Oshea's brows furrowed. "What? Why not?" She had almost convinced herself that maybe she could at least tell them that she was alright even if she didn't tell them the details of how she had gotten back and what she was having to do.

"Rules are rules, and in this particular deal, if you break them, there will be hell to pay… quite literally."

"Crowley, please… I just want to hear their voices. I just want to make sure they're alright." She said quietly. "Then, I'll do whatever you say… I don't have to talk to them. Just let me see them."

"You humans are _so _sentimental," Crowley said , rolling his eyes. "Fine." He snapped his fingers and they were suddenly standing inside a room at the Riverview Inn. The room was dark except for some moonlight streaming through the window. There were two beds in the room, but only one of them was occupied. Dean Winchester was sleeping peacefully under the blankets on the queen sized bed. "There's your loverboy. Your sis and Sammy are a couple rooms over, but, uh, I'm not sure you want to go in there."

Oshea smiled a little as she stepped toward the bed. She crouched down by the bed and stretched out her hand, stroking Dean's cheek. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his forehead. "I love you, Dean." She stood up. "If Ella is with Sam… then I know she's fine. I don't want to disturb them." She turned back to Crowley. "Thank you…"

"This is getting a bit too maudlin for my tastes," He said with another eye roll, and then snapped his fingers. They were now standing at directly in the middle of a crossroads, the streetlight above them flickering a bit as they appeared.

Oshea glanced up at the light then looked around. "So… what do we do? Just… wait around here until some poor sap comes to make a deal?"

"Not we, just you. You're on your own for now, darling. But I did get you a present."

"You're leaving me here by myself? But I have no idea what I'm doing." She tilted her head. "A present? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you won't be by yourself." A low growling sound came from beside Crowley's feet as he smirked a bit.

Oshea looked down at his feet, her eyes growing wide. "What is that?"

"You already know what it is, Oshea, stop asking silly questions. It's a hellhound, well, actually, a hell pup, but don't call him that. He doesn't like it very much," He said with a grin. "You got a free ticket out of Hell, Oshea, some demons might find that a bit unfair. He's here for your protection, he won't hurt you. He's just here to make sure no one tries anything funny."

Oshea knelt down as the small hellhound came toward her, she stroked its head and smiled. "Thank you, Crowley… I really appreciate this."

Crowley rolled his eyes again, ignoring her sincerity. "Well this is where I get off. Good luck," He said with a wink, and then he was gone. Oshea took in a deep breath, looking around the crossroads as she rose to her feet. The hound growled softly and settled down beside of her.


	3. Two Pink Lines

Chapter Three.

Two Pink Lines.

* * *

_STORM LAKE, IOWA_

_A FEW WEEKS LATER_

Sam Winchester yawned as he buried his face into the pillow at the Bate's Motel. It was a run down motel in the outskirts of town. He and Ella had been married for a few months now, Oshea had been gone for a little over a year, and things were slowly started to return to normal. Dean was still a bit more reserved than Sam would have liked, but he was not the shell of himself he had been those first couple months. Ella and he had had as close to a honeymoon as hunters could have. While at one of their cases, they had gotten a separate room from Dean and had had a private dinner together at the nicest restaurant in the area. After a few days without a case, they had had to move on and start hunting again. They had just finished a case and were taking a little break in Storm Lake. Sam had fallen asleep almost immediately after hitting the pillows. Dean was asleep by himself in the bed across the room, and Ella had gone into the bathroom to freshen up. Sam had been a bit worried about her. She had not been feeling well lately. She had stressed over and over that she was fine though, so Sam tried not to worry too much.

"Holy CRAP. Crap crap crap _CRAP!"_ Was heard from behind the bathroom door, along with a few choice words thrown in between. She had not meant for it to be so loud, but what she held in her hand made it hard for her to keep calm.

Sam lurched awake and gasped, tumbling from the bed and onto the floor in a tangle of sheets. He reached up beneath his pillow and pulled out his shotgun. After flipping the safety off, he cocked the weapon and untangled himself. "Ella, hold on!" He called, stumbling to his feet. He ran to the bathroom and pulled open the door. Immediately the gun was lifted. "Ella, what's going on? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Sam, put the gun down," She said, her face a little pale. She started to hide her hand behind her back, but she realized he had probably already seen it when he stormed into the room.

Sam lowered the gun, his eyes slowly traveling to the drug store bag that laid on the counter. He stared blankly at the open blue and pink box. He felt a little sick as he looked down at her hand just as the device slipped behind her. Ella had run into a drug store on the way to the motel, saying she was going to get some medicine to see if that would help whatever was bothering her. "Ella…" He said quietly, his eyes never leaving the open box on the counter. "Is… is that…?"

"Yeah…" She said a little quietly. "So, what exactly were you going to do? Shoot the pregnancy test?" She said, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Sam could not take his eyes off of it. "What did it… are you…?" He felt himself feeling a little sick.

"Pregnant? Yeah, it looks that way," She said, tossing the test into the trashcan along with the other one she had taken a little bit before. Both were positive.

"Holy crap…" Sam said, setting the gun down on the counter. He lifted his hands and ran them through his hair, turning in a slow circle. He paused, staring at his sleeping brother. "Oh god… but we used… oh crap, oh god…" He muttered.

"My thoughts exactly," She said quietly.

"We're… Ella, we can't… we…," He was nearly hyperventilating. Slowly, he shook his head. "Dean is going to kill me… then have Castiel bring me back to life and kill me again…"

"You think I don't know that? That we can't do… this?" She gestured towards her stomach. "I don't want to bring a kid into this world, Sam. A world of death, monsters, and living in a different place week by week. This is the last thing I ever wanted to happen right now."

Sam took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He walked over to her and curved his arms around her gently, pulling her against him. He rubbed her back and closed his eyes, leaning his head against hers. "It's going to be okay, Ella. It will." He pulled away from her and cupped his hands against her cheeks. "Our baby…," In spite of himself, he felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he said those words. "Our baby, Ella. We're going to have a baby… no it's not ideal right now, but Dean and I were raised this way, and we turned out fine… we should be happy…"

"I just… don't want a raise a kid into this life, Sam. But…" She sighed. "If I have to, I'm glad it's with you," She said with a little smile, though still feeling sick to her stomach.

"I know, I don't either, but we don't have much of a choice now." He paused a moment then chuckled a little wearily, smiling. "Is it a bad thing that I'm kind of excited?"

"Maybe just a little bit," She said. "Well… good luck with telling Dean! I'm going to bed," She said quickly, giving her husband a peck on the cheek before she left the bathroom. Sam closed his eyes a little as she kissed his cheek and went to bed.

"I'll be there in a minute." He whispered, watching her go. He grabbed the gun and put the safety back on, shaking his head as he did so. "Why now?" He whispered to no one in particular. "Why did this have to happen now? I always wanted a family, but… but not like this…what am I going to do?" He walked back to the bed and slipped the weapon beneath the pillow before climbing in beside of Ella.


	4. There Goes My Life

Chapter Four.

There Goes My Life.

* * *

He did not sleep the rest of the night and when the first rays of sunlight came in through the curtains of the window, he woke Ella and asked her to go try to find some breakfast for them all while he took care of having the talk with Dean. After Ella left, he spent ten full minutes pacing the room, trying to find the words to tell his brother. He took a deep breath and finally stepped forward, giving his brother a little shake. "Dean… Dean, get up…"

"Ugh," Dean groaned, "What time is it?"

"It's uh… seven thirty," Sam said quietly. "Dean, I really need to talk to you."

"Seven in the morning, are you kidding me?" He said, pushing the covers off him and sitting up in bed. "Could you explain _why _exactly we're up this early?"

"Dean, this is very important." Sam said softly. "Very… very important. Um… Ella went to get you pie. And a bacon cheeseburger."

Dean arched a brow. "What's wrong? You never buy me pie and bacon cheeseburgers unless something's wrong."

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong, why would you think that something was wrong? Can't I buy my brother food without getting interrogated?" Sam said it all in one breath and was panting a little when he was finished.

Dean's eyebrow remained raised. "Sam…?"

"I mean, it's not a big deal," Sam said, walking away and pacing a little in front of the beds, running his fingers through his hair. "It's just a baby…"

"I'm sorry, what baby?"

"Mine… ours… uh…," He sighed heavily and sank down on the bed beside of Dean's. He leaned his elbows on his knees and put his forehead in the palm of his hand. "Ella's pregnant, Dean…"

Dean's eyes widened. "Sam, please tell me you're joking."

"No, I'm not. We just found out this morning…" Sam said softly, not looking at his brother.

"What the hell, Sammy?" Dean said, suddenly feeling wide awake as he stared at his brother in disbelief.

Sam frowned, looking up at him. "Well… that's one way of saying congratulations…"

"Well I'm sorry Sam, but you gotta know this isn't really a good thing. I mean, how the hell are you guys gonna take care of a kid, when we can barely take care of ourselves?"

"It's not like we planned for this to happen," Sam said, his brows furrowing. "You're acting like this is my fault…"

"Well I donno Sam, babies don't exactly make themselves."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," He said in frustration. "But it wasn't intentional. We used… we… well… it doesn't matter, it didn't work."

"So what are we going to do, Sam?" Dean said. "Drive around with a baby while we hunt monsters? And don't get me started on the whole toting a hormonal pregnant lady in the Impala."

Sam narrowed his eyes, staring at his elder brother. "Well, I don't see any other choice in the matter, Dean. This isn't just some hormonal pregnant lady, this is my wife. And my baby. My first child. I thought that you might be at least a little happy for me."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Sam, don't do this 'I thought you'd be happy for me' crap again. You know that I am. But this is a big deal, Sammy."

"Why is it crap for me to want my brother to be happy for me?" Sam said, standing up from the bed and looking down at his brother. "When I told you I was getting married, you tried to talk me out of it, at my wedding, all you could think about was what it meant that the angels and the Trickster decided to sit in, now all you can think about when I say that we're having a baby is how its going to affect our hunting! Life isn't just about hunting, Dean."

"Yes it is, Sam. We don't have a choice anymore. We can't… you can't be some kind of soccer mom and monster hunter."

Sam shook his head. "I should have known." He said softly. "I should have known that you couldn't forget about hunting for just two seconds. I'm sick of this, Dean. I'm sick of hunting being more important than family. You won't have to worry about having a 'hormonal pregnant lady' in your precious Impala. In fact, you won't have to have her husband there either." He grabbed his and Ella's duffel bags from beneath his bed and slung the straps over his shoulder.

"Sam, wait-" But his brother was already out the door before he could finish the sentence.


	5. My Ghosts Are Gaining On Me

Chapter Five.

My Ghosts Are Gaining On Me.

* * *

The sounds of Styx's "Renegade" filled the inside of the Impala as Dean drove down the highway. It had been a couple months since Sam and Ella abruptly left, and since then, they had only spoken over the phone a few times. Sam was his little brother, after all, and no matter what he did, he still had to watch over him. He regretted all that he said back at the motel, he wished he would have kept his mouth shut, but it was too late for that now.

His cell phone started to ring, and he turned down the car radio. "Sam?" He said as he flipped it open.

"Sorry, son, it's just me." Bobby's voice said on the other line. "Listen, there's been some trouble in Crows Agency, Montana. I know that place holds bad memories for you, but… there've been about fifteen deaths in the passed few weeks. From what I've read, it looks like Hellhounds. I think we might have an overzealous crossroads demon on our hands."

"Yeah, I guess I can check it out," Dean said after a moment. "Have you… uh… heard from Sam any lately?"

"No, I haven't heard anything from him in about a month. I'm sorry, Dean." Bobby said quietly.

"Yeah, okay. Well, I'll call you if I find anything in Montana. Bye Bobby."

_xx_

It was about 10 at night by the time Dean reached Crow Agency, Montana. He stopped by three crossroads, until he finally found one with a small bar a little ways down the road from it, ironically named "The Crossroads Bar." He talked to a few of the locals inside, but most of them seemed to be of no help at all. After wasting about an hour inside the bar, he finished off a beer and headed outside. He started to pull the Impala's keys out of his pocket, but changed his mind, and started walking on down the side of the gravel road. Two distant figures came into view after a few minutes of walking, and he nodded." Yahtzee." He felt his pocket, making sure the demon killing knife was still there, and he continued to walk.

"Alright, but you must understand that the economy being the way it is, we've had to up our prices," The black clad female said, laying a hand against her hip as she lifted her other hand to trail it down the front of a young man's suit. "You get a month. Only a month, then you'll have to pay up."

The young man nodded slowly, his breath reeking of alcohol. "I just want my son back… my wife is a wreck. She blames me for-" The female laid a finger against his lips.

"Hush… I don't want your life's story. I'll bring your son back, and you'll get one whole month to spend with your family. Your wife will have her child back." The female lowered her hand and smiled. "Sound good to you?"

The young man hesitated just a moment before nodding. She curved her arms around his neck and stood on the tips of her toes, pressing her lips against his.

"I was looking forward to running into one of you again," Dean said, walking up to them, the knife now in his hand. "I've never had the pleasure of killing a crossroads demon."

The female pulled away from the male, who quickly started to back away, seeing the knife. The light from the streetlamp fell on her short red hair and her freckled shoulders. Slowly, she turned around to face Dean, her eyes glistening a bright red.

"Get out of here," Dean said to the man, not taking his eyes off the girl. It took him several moments before he recognized her. As the man ran off, the crossroads demon glanced over her shoulder slightly, watching him disappear into the bar. With a small sigh, she turned back to face Dean.

"Hello, Dean…," She whispered.

Dean stared at her, his eyes wide. His grip around the handle of the knife tightened. "You're not her…"

Oshea glanced down at the knife and lifted her hands, shaking her head. "No, Dean. It's me. It's really me!"

"Oh really? Then I should totally believe you, seeing as demons _never_ lie," He said. "No, you can't be her… but I do know you've made the wrong move, using her body like this."

"Dean, please, you have to believe me." She said, taking a step backwards. "It's _me. _It's Oshea!"

"I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time seeing past the red eyes and the fact that you're, oh yeah, a crossroads demon!" Dean said. He didn't know what he was waiting for, why he didn't kill her right then and there.

"I can explain that, Dean." She said quickly. "Just give me a chance." There came a low growling and Oshea glanced toward the spot where it had come from. "Damon, quiet!"

Dean lunged towards Oshea with the knife, but was suddenly thrown backwards a few feet. Crowley stood over him, arching a brow. "Well, well, Dean Winchester, we finally meet."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Name's Crowley. King of the crossroads… and Oshea's current boss," He said with a smirk. Oshea was panting a little as she stood just behind Crowley.

"Dean, I really can explain if you would stop waving the knife around." Oshea said. "Okay? Will you put the knife away so we can have a pleasant conversation? If you still don't believe me, then you can kill me, alright?"

Dean glanced back and forth between the both of them and then sighed, slipping the knife back in his pocket. "Well… what?"

"Someone brought me back to life, I don't know who, but they made a deal with me. If I can get 100 souls, then my soul will be returned to me." Oshea said quietly, lowering her eyes.

"But who would do that?"

Crowley shrugged. "Haven't the foggiest. But whoever it is, wanted your little girlfriend here back and kicking for a reason."

"How long… how long have you been back?" Dean asked.

"A few months. One of the rules of the deal was that I was not allowed to contact you." She said quietly. "But I did come and see you… right after I was brought back. You were at the Riverview." A little smile turned up her lips.

"A few months?" He repeated quietly.

Crowley rolled his eyes. "This has been fun and all, but you really must be going."

"The hell I am. I just learned my dead girlfriend is back as a crossroads demon, you don't think I'm gonna stick around for a few minutes?"

"Either shut your cakehole and leave, or stick around and make a deal, it's your choice," Crowley said with a shrug.

"No."

"Fine," Crowley shrugged. He snapped his fingers and then Oshea and himself were suddenly gone, leaving Dean standing in the middle of the crossroads alone.


	6. White Knuckle Ride

He waited around a little while, hoping Oshea would show up again. He even took one of the old small boxes from the trunk of the Impala, and buried it directly in the middle of the crossroads, thinking she would have to come back, but she never did. An hour went by, and he finally left and settled in at a small motel a few miles away. He yawned sleepily as he turned off the light. As soon as he had crawled into bed and gotten under the covers, his phone rang loudly on the nightstand. He reached over and grabbed the phone, glancing at the front screen, which blinked 'Sam.'

He flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Dean, thank God." His brother's voice sounded very tired and concerned. "I didn't know who else to call… something… something's wrong with Ella." He said quietly. "She's been sick, more sick than normal. I took her to the doctor and they tried to do an ultrasound on the baby, but… but as soon as they tried to, the machine started flickering and it… it kind of exploded. We had to leave, and I've been afraid to try to take her back to the doctor… but I'm really worried…"

"The ultrasound machine… exploded?" He said, arching a brow. He leaned over and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. He sighed. "I'm on my way. Where are you guys at?"

"We're in Tennessee." He said quietly, giving a small sigh. "Dean, I'm sorry. I know you aren't happy about Ella and the baby… I wouldn't have called if it wasn't very important…"

"Sammy, it's fine. I'm over it. I was being stupid. Now where are you in Tennessee?"

"Um… we're in Oak Ridge. At a little motel called the Blackbird Inn." Sam replied.

"I'm on my way," Dean said.

_xx_

_OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE_

_xx_

Sam was pacing in the middle of the hotel, running his fingers through his hair. He breathed a sigh of relief as he heard a knock on the door. He looked through the peep hole and unlocked the door. "Dean… I'm so glad that you're here." He said wearily. He had deep bags under his eyes and looked exhausted. He even looked like he might have lost a little weight. "We just got in last night. We had to get out fast after the fiasco with the ultrasound machine."

"You should have seen the nurses face," Ella said. "I mean, after her eyebrows were singed off, of course."

"So what do you think this means?" Dean asked, stepping into the room and sitting down.

"I don't know," Sam said, his brows furrowing. "We think it might have something to do with my demon blood. We just don't know what to do, Dean. Ella can't sleep because the baby is moving so much inside of her and its making her so sick that she can barely eat… she's in a lot of pain." He said quietly, combing his fingers through his hair.

Dean nodded, looking over at Ella. She frowned, putting a hand on her stomach. "Yeah, it's a friggen dance party over here," She muttered quietly.

"I think we should go see Bobby," Dean said. "He might know something."

"That's a good idea," Sam said quietly. "But… I… well I was kind of trying to avoid that. After the way you reacted, I'm not exactly eager to tell Bobby."

"Bobby doesn't know?"

"Well, no. When you reacted the way you did, I decided that it would be better if I didn't tell anyone else…"

"Yeah, sorry about that…" He said. "Well, I haven't slept in two days, but you look like you haven't slept in two weeks, so I guess I'll drive. We really have no choice but to go to Bobby, unless you wanna risk burning down a hospital or something."

"No, blowing up one piece of hospital machinery is plenty for me," Sam gathered his and Ella's bags from beneath the beds and started toward the door to pack up the Impala.

A few hours later, Sam looked into the rearview mirror to Ella, who was for the moment, sleeping stretched out on the back of the Impala. Sam leaned his head back against the passenger seat and rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry that I left you. I understand why you reacted the way you did, Dean." He said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the car. "This is my fault. I didn't think about the demon blood… I caused this… if anything happens to Ella or the baby…"

"It won't," Dean cut in. "We'll figure something out," He glanced at his brother for a few moments, trying to look reassuring.

Sam glanced toward his brother with a little frown. "That is if Bobby doesn't kill me."

"Yeah, you really should have told him. Now we're going to have to show up on his front porch with a pregnant Ella, and a serious problem of expensive machinery blowing up around her."

Sam groaned and sank down a little into the seat. "You could drive a little slower you know…"

"Well, I'm partly worried she'll blow up the car."


	7. The Prophet's Song

SOUIX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA

Bobby Singer glanced toward the door as he heard the knocking. He took a drink of his coffee and rose from the chair. He sat down the mug by his plate of half eaten breakfast. "I'm coming, I'm coming." He said as he moved to the door and pulled it open. His eyes grew wide as he looked at Sam and Dean. "What happened to you both? You look like death warmed over." Sam rubbed the back of his neck nervously before stepping aside and placing a hand against the small of Ella's back, pushing her forward gently. Bobby started to speak then looked down at Ella's slightly bulging stomach. He stood there for a few moments, his mouth hanging open before he swallowed and looked to Dean then Sam.

"Uh… Ella, you… you look exhausted," Bobby said slowly. "Why don't you go get some rest? You can take your usual room."

Ella nodded. "Thanks Bobby," She said, before disappearing up the stairs.

Bobby waited until he heard the door to the bedroom shut. He took in a deep breath and beckoned to Sam. "Get in here, boy." Sam took a tentative step forward. Bobby lifted a hand and struck him across the head. "You _IDJIT_. I hope that she's just been eating too many apple pies and that she isn't-"

"Pregnant?" Sam offered only to be struck again upside the head.

"You _IDJIT!_" The elder hunter growled. "Have you completely lost your mind, what were you thinking?" Sam started to open his mouth, but he was hit again. "Let me answer for you, you weren't!"

Dean opened his mouth to speak, but changed his mind, deciding to stay out of it. Bobby looked over to Dean. "And you! How could you let this happen? You were supposed to be keeping an eye on him!"

"An eye on them? That's easy for you to say, they had their own room. For their _honeymoon!_ What exactly was I supposed to do?" Dean rolled his eyes.

"You gave him his own room?" Bobby said.

"Alright," Sam said quickly. "Look, Bobby, I know that I should have told you sooner-"

"Darn right you should have!" Bobby said, whirling to look at Sam.

"But we have a problem, Bobby. Something is wrong with Ella and the baby."

"Yeah, he said they were trying to get an ultrasound done, and the machine exploded… and then halfway through the drive over here, the radio went all static-y and stopped working completely." Dean said with a little glare. "So something weird is definitely going on."

"She caused an ultrasound machine to _explode_?" Bobby asked, arching a brow.

"And the Impala's radio…" Sam added weakly. "But that's not the point. Ella can't sleep or eat, and by extension, I can't eat or sleep. We think it might have something to do with my demon blood."

Bobby sighed heavily. "Alright. I'll start doing some research on it."

_xx_

A few hours later, Ella walked down the stairs, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She had taken a quick shower, towel drying her hair, and then changed into a black tank top and a pair of dark jeans. She yawned a little as she stepped into the living room, where Dean was passed out on the couch. Sam was in the kitchen, sipping on beer. He looked up as he heard someone in the living room and walked in. "Hey, Ells…," He said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better than earlier… not much, though," She said with a weak shrug. She sat down on one of the armchairs, and folded her legs in front of her. "So you guys find anythi-" She stopped as her phone started to ring. She arched a brow as she looked at the unfamiliar number flashing on the screen. "Hello..?"

"Ella! It's me, the prophet Chuck!" The voice said quickly on the other line. "I have some really big news for you and the others! Like, life altering news! Oh, by the way, congratulations on the wedding! I wish that I could have been there, but I didn't exactly know where it was and I was kind of drunk when I had the vision and not really in the condition to drive."

"It's Chuck," She mouthed to Sam. "Thanks, Chuck… uh, I'm glad you called, actually. Have you written anything… new lately? Because there's something weird going on and we could really use your prophet-y wisdom to shed some light on it."

Sam's brows furrowed as he walked over to her. "What does he want? Can he help us about the baby?"

"Yes, I know! I have been writing like crazy, I have a lot to tell you. First of all, I'd like to congratulate you and Sam on your little bundle of chaotic, apocalyptic joy." He said with a nervous laugh. "But the reason I called was because there is something that you need to know. You are rea-ackk..," There was suddenly a short hum of static before Ella could hear coughing and gasping on the other end of the line.

"What? Chuck? Hello…?" Ella said, glancing down at the phone before putting it back to her ear. "Chuck are you okay?"

Sam frowned. "Is he alright?"

The gasping continued on the other line along with a series of whimpers and coughs. There was a rustling then another voice spoke into the phone. "Hello, Ella. I'm afraid that Chuck cannot talk anymore… quite literally. I removed his larynx."

"Who is thi- Zachariah? What did you do to Chuck?" She clicked the speakerphone button so that Sam could hear.

"I just told you, I removed his larynx. You humans are not exactly the best listeners are you?" Zachariah said with a laugh.

"I thought that any danger to the prophet would call down the wrath of an archangel." Sam said, narrowing his eyes.

"A prophet's voice is not necessary as long as he can write."

"Why did you take his voice away? Is there something you're not wanting us to know?" Ella asked.

"It's none of your concern." Zachariah said with a soft chuckle. "You have more important things to worry about. Ta." He said before hanging up the phone.

Ella stared at the phone, her eyebrows raised. "That was… weird."


	8. Unwrite That Song

Chuck plopped down at his computer after wrapping a thick wool scarf around his aching throat. He smoothed his bathrobe and pecked a few keys on the computer, opening up Windows Live and connecting his webcam. He scanned the names on his list and finally selecting one. As soon as the girl appeared on the screen, he opened his mouth then inwardly cursed as he remembered that he was no longer able to speak. Frowning down at the keyboard, he frantically typed out a message.

_BECKY!_

The brunette's eyes widened and she squealed. "Carver Edlund, is it really you?"

_Call me Chuck. Listen, Becky. I have a really important job for you._

"Anything for you, I'm your biggest fan," She said, staring at the screen seriously.

_I knew I could count on you. You're the only person who will believe me_. Chuck said, glancing up briefly from the keyboard to look at her. He lowered his eyes again. _I need you to contact Sam and Dean for me. I'm in some trouble and I need them to come and help me out. Plus I have something really important I have to tell them._

Becky stared at Chuck for a moment, looking to the left, to the right, then back at the screen. She sighed. "Chuck, I'm a fan and all, but I don't really like being mocked. I know Supernatural is just fictional, okay, I know the difference between reality and fiction."

_Becky, you don't understand, it's all real!_

"I KNEW it!" She squealed.

_xx_

Ella was in the kitchen, microwaving a strawberry poptart as she hummed along to a song that was stuck in her head, when Bobby's house phone rang. "Sam, can you get that?" She shouted. Bobby and Dean were outside somewhere in the salvage yard, so it was only Sam and herself in the house.

Sam nodded as he picked up the phone. "Singer residence?"

"HI! I'm Becky!" She said excitedly into the phone.

"Uh… okay… do you need me to get Bobby? Are you alright?"

"No, no, no. Chuck told me to call, he really needs to speak with Sam and Dean… but he can't exactly talk, so he asked me to call," She said, her voice still overly-cheery.

"Alright, this is Sam. Dean's busy at the moment, just give me the message and I'll pass it along to him. Is Chuck alright? Aside from the not talking thing."

"Sam?" She half yelled into the phone. "Oh, Chuck's fine. But uh… he needs you guys to come over to his house, like immediately! He has something really important to tell you guys."

Sam winced and pulled the phone a little away from his ear until she had finished screaming then put it back against his ear. "Alright, Becky… uh… tell Chuck that we'll be there as soon as we can. We're at Bobby's now so it might take a little while."

"Okie doke!" She said cheerfully before hanging up.

"Who was it?" Ella said as she stepped from the kitchen.

"Someone named Becky." Sam said, replacing the phone. "She had a message from Chuck, he wants us to come to his house, pronto." Sam started away. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go talk to Dean." He stepped through the living room and onto the porch, going down the steps and around to the salvage yard, walking up just as they were talking.

"Are you sure that it was really Oshea, Dean?" Bobby said with a small frown. "She was filled with all of those demons, I mean… it could be possible that one of them didn't die when you used the knife…"

"I don't know how it could be her, but-" He stopped as he saw Sam.

Sam tilted his head, frowning a little. "Did you just say something about Oshea?"

Dean sighed. "Yeah. I was waiting to talk to Bobby about it first, before I told you and Ella, but… I saw Oshea. Out by a crossroads in Montana, right before I came to see you guys in Oak Ridge. She was working with some other demon, Crowley."

Sam's eyes widened. "She's alive? And working with a _demon_?"

"I'm not sure if alive is the correct term for someone with red eyes," Dean said, looking down at the ground for a moment. "She said something about a deal, that after she gets so many souls, she'd be free… but I don't get how…" He said shaking his head.

"_Souls_? Nevermind, you're going to have to explain this on the way. We just got a call from Chuck, he's been having visions out the wazoo, and he was about to tell us something really important, 'life altering' as he said. But before he could tell us anything, Zachariah showed up and… _removed _his voice box."

"He removed his-?" He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Of course he did. Let's go."


	9. Take It As It Comes

Sam walked up to the door and rapped his knuckles against it. "Chuck? Hey, Chuck… it's Sam, Dean and Ella."

The front door immediately flew open, revealing a short haired brunette young woman. Her eyes widened as she smiled from ear to ear. "SAM!" She threw her arms around him in a hug and then pulled away. She put her hand softly on his chest, which was covered by a flannel button up shirt. "You're so… firm," She said dreamily.

Dean arched a brow. Behind him, Ella cleared her throat, stepping up next to Sam. "Excuse me, but who are you and why are you touching my husband?"

Becky glared a little, and finally put her hand down. "You must be Ella- wait, did you just say husband?"

"Yeah, sweetheart. He's taken," She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Becky rolled her eyes and backed up a little, moving aside so that they could come inside.

Sam's eyes grew wide as he was embraced and fondled by Becky. "Nice… to meet you?" He said, giving her a little pat on the back. "Yes, Ella and I got married a few months back." He stepped into the home. Chuck stood up from the couch, holding a steaming bowl of soup in one hand. A small white board with a little black dry erase marker hung about his neck and the scarf was still wrapped around his neck. He sat down the bowl and grabbed the marker and scribbled.

_My throat hurts. _

"What's with mime-y over there?" Dean said, arching a brow.

"I bought him that so he could talk to us, since that meanie angel Zachariah took away his voice," Becky explained. She looked at the three of him, looking a little confused. "Where is Oshea?"

Chuck rubbed his bathrobe sleeve over the white board and began to write. Sam glanced over to Dean, "Yeah, maybe you wanna explain that to everyone now, Dean?"

Dean glared a little. "Yeah, uh… Oshea died-"

"Again?" Becky interrupted.

"Yes. But uh, the other night, I saw her-"

"You _what_?" Ella said.

"Would everyone shut up and let me talk?" Dean said in a frustrated tone. "She was at a crossroads… with a demon. Her eyes were red… and she… well we didn't get to talk much, but she's working with him. Gathering souls, making deals, the whole enchilada."

"And you were planning on telling me this _when, _Dean?" Ella said, glaring at him.

"Ella, calm down… a lot has been going on. He hasn't had a chance," Sam said slowly. "Now, Chuck, what was it that was so important that you had to tell us?"

Chuck lifted a finger, indicating for them to wait then turned around his white board. _It's about Ella. You remember your parents? Mark and Amber Blackwood? They weren't your real parents._

"What? No, Chuck, Oshea was adopted, not me," She said, shaking her head.

_Yes, she was, but so were you. In a sense, anyway. Your parents were faithful, God-fearing people. You were given to them by your real father. _He showed it to her, shaking his wrist, which was aching a little from all of the writing he was having to do.

"No way… this is just too…" She sighed. "Fine, who was my real father?"

Chuck erased the board with his sleeve again and started to write. Before he could finish, there was a loud snap. The marker dropped from Chuck's hand, and the prophet staggered, his mouth opening in a silent cry as he gripped his wrist. His face twisted in pain.

"You're just determined to tell things that these people have no business knowing," Zachariah said as he stepped into the room.

"Oh great, you're here," Dean said. "Fix Chuck and get out of here, asshat."

"Sorry, no can do. Not unless Chuck decides to keep his trap shut about things that he wasn't supposed to see," Zachariah snarled toward the prophet. Chuck glared at him a little and leaned down, scooping up the marker in his left hand. He pulled the cap off with his teeth and started to shakily write with his left hand. Zachariah took in a deep breath and gave a clipped sigh.

"Fine. You remember how I gave the boys stomach cancer? Let's see how you fair." He snapped his fingers and Chuck gagged, sinking down to his knees on the floor as blood spilled from his lips.

"Leave him alone!" Ella cried. "What are you trying to keep from us?"

The room started to shake and a light began to spill through the windows as a sharp whistling began to fill the room. Zachariah snarled toward the window, "FINE!" He snapped his fingers, and Chuck gasped, panting softly. He rotated his wrist then took up his marker and scribbled.

_Can I have my voice back? You don't understand! I sing in a band! Louden Swain. I _need_ my voice._

Ella's eyes widened. "Wait, you're the singer of-?"

"Quit the cute and get to what we were here to find out in the first place," Dean interrupted, glaring at Zachariah.

Zachariah's jaw tightened and looked around the group before releasing a little sigh. "Ella…," He said lowly. "I… I am your father."

Sam's brows furrowed thoughtfully then he snapped his fingers, smirking. "Star Wars."

Zachariah looked at him with a wicked glare. "I am not quoting your pathetic excuse for entertainment, you lummox. It's… it's the truth."

Ella shook her head, starting to back up. "No no no no no no no… No!"

Zachariah glared at Chuck, who kept his eyes down on his feet. "Yes, Ella. It's the truth. You are my daughter…"

Sam's jaw dropped and he looked over to his brother. "Dude… I slept with an angel…"

"Sam, I'm standing right here," Ella said, staring at him for a moment before looking back at Zachariah. "If I'm an angel, how come I don't have any powers? I mean, the closest thing I have is the ability to hear and see you guys."

"Because you're not full blooded angel," Zachariah said slowly. "You… you are half human. Your mother is a human woman who lives in Scotland named Senga MacGowan."

"You said _lives. _So she's still alive? If she is, how come she's never come looking for me?"

"That… that's a long story," Zachariah said lowly. "And not one that I would like the whole Scooby Gang to know about." He said, glancing to the other's briefly before looking back to her. "If you would like to know the whole story… then, I suppose… well… you and I can go somewhere private."

Ella sighed, hesitating as she looked to Sam and then Dean. "Fine."

Sam shook his head, "Ella, no, we can't trust him."

Zachariah snarled. "Do you honestly think that I would hurt my own daughter?"

"The thought crossed my mind," Sam said lowly.

Zachariah rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for this." He stepped forward and pressed two fingers against Ella's forehead. The two then vanished from the room.


	10. Hello, I Love You

When they reappeared, they were standing on a beach. Seagulls were lazily flying overhead in the sky that was bruised a deep violet and orange by the setting sun. Foaming waves lapped at the pale sand and the dripping rocks that protruded from the waters. To the left was a tall cliff with a lighthouse sitting by the drop-off which overlooked a cluster of jagged rocks. Zachariah ran a hand over his head and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I used to be a guardian angel like Joel was." Zachariah began slowly. "I was sent to guard your mother, Senga MacGowan, because it was prophesied that through her bloodline, one of the most powerful creatures in earth's history would be conceived…."

_ARBROATH, SCOTLAND_

_TWENTY SOME YEARS AGO_

It was just past midnight as Senga MacGowen was walking down the street, heading home after a long night of waitressing at the local pub. Her long dark brown hair was pulled up into a slightly messy ponytail, and she crinkled her nose in disgust, realizing she smelled like cigarettes and cheap beer. She jumped a bit as she suddenly heard foot steps behind her. She turned, and her bright green eyes darted around her. When she assured herself nothing was there, she turned back around, only to see four or five men and women standing in front of her in a line, blocking the deserted roadway.

"Hey, sweetie," One of the men said, stepping forward. He blinked, and his eyes were suddenly black. "You really shouldn't be out here alone. Might get yourself killed." The night air was suddenly filled with the young woman's screams as the group of black eyed strangers started to surround her.

Just as one of the black eyed men laid their hands upon her, she heard the sound of rustling wings, sounding like dry leaves skittering across the sidewalk. A tall, slender male with dark hair wearing a black suit and a dark blue tie stepped forward. He lifted his hands and placed them against the dark eyed creature's temples. The man screamed as light poured from his eyes and mouth then toppled to the ground. The younger male in the suit moved to Senga, placing himself in front of her protectively.

The other demons cursed loudly, stepping back from the angel as they argued amongst themselves. "She's protected," One of the female demons said, before she turned to glare at the man. "We'll be back... that pretty girl of yours is as good as dead," She said, before all of their heads violently jerked back, black smoke erupting from their mouths.

The handsome young man in the suit narrowed his eyes. "You will not touch her again." He snapped to them, watching as the dark smoke poured from their mouths. Turning his back to them, he looked Senga over. "Are you hurt?"

The young brunette stared at him, her eyes wide as her jaw dropped slightly "I- I mean they-...and you-... What just happened? Who are you?"

"I am called Zachariah," The young man said slowly as he looked her over, trying to be sure that she was not damaged in any way. His eyes lifted to meet hers. "You might find this difficult to believe, but those creatures were demons. I am an angel of the Lord. I have been sent here to protect you."

"You're a..." She scoffed, shaking her head. "Nuh uh... no, no no no... demons aren't real... angels aren't real... I must have... ate some bad fish or something, I was hallucinating... I had to have been..." She said, backing away.

"Please, you must believe me." Zachariah said quietly. "You are in grave danger. I can prove to you what I am." The lamp behind him flickered and in the shadows, she could see shadowy feathered wings spread from his back. Senga let out a quiet squeak of alarm before she fainted.

When she awoke, she found herself in her home resting on her couch. Zachariah was seated in one of the wooden chairs by her kitchen table. His elbow was resting on the surface of the table and his chin was cradled in his palm. He glanced toward her and frowned. "I did not mean to startle you, Senga. Are you feeling alright?"

Her eyes widened as she sat up straight, wrapping her arms around her legs as she pulled them up to her chest. "You... you can't be real," She said a little quietly. "Not that I'm not thankful for you saving my life... but..." She shook her head slowly.

"I know this is a lot for you to take in, but you must believe that I have only your best interests in mind. I am very real as are the creatures that wish to kill you," Zachariah said as he stood up from the chair and walked toward her. "You see," He knelt down beside of the couch. "You are special, Senga. Through your bloodline one of the most powerful beings on earth will be produced. A being that could potentially eradicate the demons. Because of this, Hell wants you destroyed and Heaven wishes you protected. I am that protection. I have been watching over you for years, but now that the time for the prophesy is drawing near, the demons are becoming more desperate and it has become necessary that I reveal myself to you so that I can ensure that you are safe."

Senga bit her bottom lip. "Okay... so what now?"

"You simply go about your life," Zachariah said. "And I will stay with you."


	11. Angels And Sailors

"So what happened next?" Ella asked, arching a brow as Zachariah had paused the story. "I mean, something had to have happened. You seemed nice back then, and now... not so much..."

Zachariah frowned, "Years went by and we became closer. So close, in fact, that I was disobedient. I had carnal relations with her and she became pregnant... That was when the trouble started. After I found out that your mother was with child, I was called back to Heaven. While I was gone, my vessel was destroyed by demons..."

"So, you knocked up my mom, got sent back home, got a slap on the wrist, then what? You just left us?"

Zachariah turned and strode toward Ella, placing his hands on her shoulders. "No, that is not how it happened. I loved your mother with all of my heart. I had since the first day I laid my eyes on her. I watched her grow up into a gorgeous, wonderful woman... It was because of that love that my superior Saraquael told me to show myself when I did. He knew I loved her and that I would be tempted by her. The angels wanted the child...you.. To be born. They knew that through your bloodline a being would be born that could eradicate the demons. Saraquael manipulated me and used my feelings to get what he wanted. It was a hard pregnancy... And because my vessel was dead I had no way to reach your mother. After you were born, she... She was so angry with me..." Zachariah pulled away and turned his back on Ella, giving a sigh. "She tried to drown you in the kitchen sink..."

"She... tried to kill me?" Ella said, her eyes widening in disbelief. "But why?"

"As I said, the pregnancy was very hard. She was in a great deal of pain, was very ill, and had no family, no friends to turn to. My vessel was dead, I couldn't come to her." Zachariah said very quietly. "It took a toll on her mind and body and in the end... I think she did it to hurt me... I believe she thought I had abandoned her intentionally... whatever the reason, I could not allow her to kill you. I left Heaven and appeared to her in her home... you have to understand, you were dying... I didn't know what else to do."

"If you didn't have a vessel, then..." Her voice trailed off. "What happened to her?"

Zachariah clasped his hands together behind his back. "She... she lost her eyes." He said quietly. "I took you to the Blackwood's because they had been praying for a child. They were very good people. They had tried have child of their own, but were unsuccessful. I knew they would take good care of you, and of course I kept an eye on you... made sure that you were safe."

"But why? What do you care? I've died twice, and you haven't lifted a finger to help."

"The first time, the hellspawn you call your sister made her deal with that demon before I had the chance to intervene... the second time, you were in Heaven where you belong. Among your family, both your adopted family and your real family..." Zachariah said quietly.

"And then we were ripped out of there. By who, exactly? Because Joel didn't do it, Sam and Dean didn't do it," She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'd really like to know the answer to that."

"You really think that I would do something like that to you?" He narrowed his eyes and frowned. "I certainly did not cast you out of Heaven..."

"Then who did?" She said, letting her arms fall down to her side.

"I believe it was Saraquael," Zachariah said lowly, his voice containing a hint of anger as he stepped toward her and laid his hand against her slightly bulging stomach. "If you had remained in Heaven, then you would not have gotten pregnant. This child is going to be very strong... one of the most powerful beings on the planet."

Her eyes widened a little as she looked down at her stomach and then back up at the angel. "...And that's a good or a bad thing?"

Zachariah pulled his hand away and shook his head. "It depends..." He lifted his eyes to look into hers. "The demons are going to do whatever they can to get their hands on your child. You're going to have to be very careful. I will be sure that you will be protected. Jude has been assigned to be the child's protector. He and Joel and that infernal Castiel should be enough protection... but I will be watching, too." He paused, lowering his eyes. "I know that your life has been difficult... and you might be angry with me for not telling you sooner, but you must understand that I thought you would be easier for you... I do love you, Ella... and I am... very proud of you." He cleared his throat. "If you try to tell anyone else that, I will deny it."

Ella backed away. "I think I liked you better when you weren't being nice to me. Take me back to Sam and Dean, now."

"Believe me, this is the only time this will happen. But I cannot allow you to go back to them yet," He said with a shake of his head as he started to walk away from her down the beach.

"What? No! Send me back to them now!" She said, running after him and stepping in front of him.

"Sorry, but no." Zachariah said with a little smirk. "I cannot allow you to go back to them because your little sister is there, and I will not let that demon near you and the child. I will send someone for you after she has left." With that, he vanished with a soft fluttering of wings, and she was left alone standing on the beach.


	12. You're Lost Little Girl

Chuck was sitting in front of his computer, typing away and sipping beer from a glass bottle when there was a knock at the door. He glanced up from the computer screen and grabbed his little white board, scribbling on it before standing and walking over to Dean, who was waiting with a very worried Sam in the kitchen. _Dean, can you get the door? I have to finish typing this out. _

Dean rolled his eyes at the prophet, and walked past him through the living room. He quickly grabbed his pistol, holding it in his hand behind his back as he used the other hand to open the front door.

Oshea stood outside of the door, her arms curled around herself and her back to it. When the door opened, she turned around and looked up at Dean. "Dean..."

"I thought you weren't allowed to come anywhere near us," Dean said quietly.

"I snuck away," She said softly. "I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stay before Crowley finds me. I wanted to see you..."

Dean nodded, stepping aside so she could come in. "Bobby, Sam, Chuck, we have.. uh, a visitor..."

Chuck peeked around his computer and his eyes grew wide as he saw Oshea. He gave a little wave to her. Bobby stared, slowly standing up from the couch where he had been sitting. "Dean... are you sure about this?"

Dean nodded. "Oshea, tell them what you told me."

"Someone brought me back to life this way, and Crowley said that if I was able to get 100 souls then I would become normal again." She glanced over to Dean. "That's what I came to talk to you about though, Dean... I... I think Crowley might be lying to me..."

"A demon lying? Well isn't that a surprise," Dean said, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe separating the living room and kitchen.

"He tried to tell me that I wasn't really a demon, that it was temporary and when I was done, I'd be human, but... I have these abilities now... and let's face it. I already had demon blood pumping through my veins... how much would it have really taken to make me a full demon?" She said sadly. She did not follow after Dean, but stayed where she was, hovering in the doorway. "From the beginning the demons have been collecting souls... trying to get enough together to make some sort of army... I think they're using me to get more..."

"Sounds about right," Dean muttered.

"There's something else, Dean," She said after a long pause. "You remember that door Ella and I opened when we were dragged from Heaven? Well... it didn't just release spirits and demons... it let loose the Horsemen… the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse..."

Chuck snapped his fingers with a little nervous grin. _Oh... that's the other thing I was going to tell you all._

Dean looked at the board Chuck had scribbled on and back up at him, glaring. "Is there anything else you forgot to tell us?"

Chuck bit his lip and shrugged his shoulders, lowering his eyes and writing slowly. _Well... actually, yes. It's about Oshea..._

Oshea's brows furrowed as she read the message. "What's wrong with Chuck? Why isn't he talking?"

"Zach dropped by, paid him a visit, and while he was here, ripped out his voice box." He looked to Chuck. "What about Oshea?"

Oshea's eyes widened and she lifted a hand to her throat. "That's terrible!"

Chuck stood up and walked over to them as he scribbled on the whiteboard. _You remember that ritual that Jonah told you about to close the first door to Hell? _He paused, looking up to make sure they had read it before continuing_. It... well, it wasn't the only way to close it._

Oshea stared at him. "Chuck... what are you saying?"

_I'm saying... you didn't have to die_.

"What do you mean, she didn't have to die?" Dean asked, his voice raising a little.

_There was another way to close the doors. Not an easy way, but another way. You had to get the ring of the Horsemen. _Chuck scribbled then showed to them.

"First of all, which Horseman...and how the hell exactly were we supposed to do that?"

_All of them. _Chuck wrote.

Oshea was staring at him, her shoulders slumped. "You.. you mean I didn't have to bleed myself dry... I didn't have to be possessed by all of those demons... I.. I didn't have to be stabbed in the heart by Dean or spend a lifetime in Hell...?" She said quietly, her voice emotionless.

_No. _Chuck frowned. _Jonah just told you that to get you sent back to Hell._

Dean's expression hardened. "So she died for no reason?"

Chuck lowered his eyes and sat down the whiteboard and marker, rubbing the back of his neck as he nodded slowly. Dean stared at him for one moment before storming out of the room.


	13. When The Music's Over

Ella had yelled for Zachariah for what seemed like hours. Her throat was sore, and she had finally given up and sat down on the edge of the beach, letting the sand tickle her toes and the water rush onto them. There was a soft fluttering of wings, and a pair of bare feet stepped up beside of her. Joel looked down at her, his dark hair falling about his face and his jeans slipping over his feet and dragging slightly in the damp sand. "I heard you calling... I know you were looking for Zachariah, but.. maybe I could help."

Ella glanced up at him for a moment before returning her eyes to the ocean. "Is my sister really back?"

"Yes, she is." Joel replied quietly. "She is at Chuck's house with the others. What are you doing out here?"

"Zachariah. He poofed me here, gave me some sob story about how he used to be a nice dude," She rolled her eyes, glancing up at him again and then back to the ocean. "He said he was my mothers guardian angel way back when, and knocked her up, and here I am."

Joel's eyes grew wide and he seemed to pale a little. "You... you mean he's the one that all of the angels were talking about when they told me that it was a bad idea to fall in love with... oh... oh... no. That... that means that you're my... my sister! I made out with you!"

"Well it wasn't exactly pleasant for me either," She said. "I don't know what's worse; someone like Zachiariah is my father and my whole entire life is a lie, or that I made out with you."

Joel cleared his throat. "Well... I couldn't have been that bad of a kisser." he grumbled as he walked to her and knelt down in front of her. "I think it's time you got off this beach and went to see your sister before she is forced to leave again." He lifted his hand and pressed his fingers to her forehead gently.

Ella blinked and then suddenly found herself standing in the middle of the living room just as the front door slammed behind Dean. She glanced around, seeing Chuck sitting quietly at his desk, and Sam was standing off to one side of the room. Her eyes widened as she saw her sister.

Oshea looked over at Ella and smiled a little. "It's really good to see you." She said quietly. Her eyes widened as she saw Ella's stomach and she gasped. "Oh... my god... are you... pregnant?"

Bobby rolled his eyes. "No, she's just been eating too many apple pies. Of course she's pregnant! Einstein here put the bread in the oven on their honeymoon night." He said, jabbing a thumb toward Sam.

"Wait... honeymoon? You mean you both got married?" Oshea asked quietly.

"Yeah, for a little while now," She nodded and then suddenly threw her arms around Oshea in a hug. After a moment she pulled away. "How are you back?"

Oshea returned the hug tightly, closing her eyes. It was wonderful to see her sister again. As they pulled away, she sighed. "I don't know exactly... someone brought me back as ... as a demon..."

Ella sat down on the couch and listened as Oshea explained everything. "I can't believe this," She said quietly, shaking her head.

"Neither can I...," Oshea said softly, brushing her fingers through her short hair. She sighed, glancing back to the door where Dean had gone. Sam sighed and stood up,

"I'll talk to him. You both have a lot to catch up on." He stepped from the living room into the hall. Bobby stood up after him.

"Since everything seems to be under control here for the moment, I'm going to go back to the house. See if I can find anything that can help you, Ella." He said, giving her a little pat on the shoulder before he started after Sam.

Sam stepped out onto the porch of Chuck's small house. "Dean?"

The elder Winchester was sitting on the steps and glanced up at Sam as he spoke. "Yeah?"

His younger brother moved to the stairs and stepped down them, sitting down beside his sibling and looking at him with a little frown. "It's not your fault, you know." He said after a moment.

Dean rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Sam, I'm fine," He said, "I don't really want to talk about it. Wallowing isn't going to do us any good, especially with what's going on with Ella right now."

"Dean, you're not fine. All of this keeping things to yourself, it's going to eat you alive." He said, narrowing his eyes slightly. He shook his head and sighed. "Ella's my wife, I'll worry about her." He ran his fingers through his hair. "But Dean, you need to worry about Oshea. She needs you, Dean. I know you aren't into the whole having emotions thing... but you could at least pretend like you care."

"I care. But being Mr. Sensitive and talking about my feelings isn't going to change the fact that Oshea died for no reason."

"Maybe not, but at least you'd seem human. We can't go back and change things, Dean, but she's alive now. Look, all I'm saying is that you might want to get your butt back in there and at least talk to her before she has to leave again."

Dean rolled his eyes, but he knew Sam was right. He was being stubborn, angry... not at Oshea, but about everything else. He stood up from the steps and walked back into the house.

As soon as he stepped in the door, Oshea was standing from the couch. "I'm sorry, Ella. I have to go." She said quickly. She rushed out into the hallway and nearly ran into Dean as he stepped inside. "Dean... I'm sorry, but I can't stay here any longer."

Dean's brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm being summoned back to Crow Agency. Someone is wanting to make a deal at the crossroads." She said quietly.

"And you can't wait two seconds to talk to me?"

Oshea sighed and lowered her eyes, shaking her head. "I... I wanted to... I'm sorry, Dean." As soon as his name left her lips, she vanished. Dean stared at the space she had been for a few moments. He had screwed up. He should have talked to her when he had the chance, done something. Now it was too late.


	14. Black Night

_GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA_

Moonlight was pouring down into the small cemetery, which was surrounded by the skeletal trees of a dense forest. A few evergreens were spread out among the other trees, looking plump and healthy against the nearly leafless population of oaks and maples. The headstones jutted from the dying grass that blanketed the ground. A trio of dark forms slid down the hill that rose over the cluster of graves. They giggled softly and bright flashes began to burst from their cameras as they snapped pictures. One of them, a pretty slender girl with dark, straight hair accented by bright red bangs and pale strands beneath, sprawled over one of the graves while another snapped pictures. The last was standing off to one side.

"We shouldn't be here."

"Come on, Asher," The brunette with the camera sighed. "Grow a backbone. It's fine."

"Didn't you say this place was supposed to be haunted, Lauren?"

"Look, if we can get some good supernatural documentation and send it in to the Ghostfacers, they might actually let us join!" Lauren said with a little squeak of delight. The dark haired girl spread out on the tomb nodded.

"Besides, its just a sto-" The girl stopped as a scream tore through the night. "… story…"

Asher stiffened as he looked around then back to the girls. "Okay, we need to go now."

Lauren bobbed her head, but flipped on her digital camera on the video feature, beginning to record as they quickly started up the hill and started down the path bordered by the forest on their right and a sea of kudzu on their left. Ruins of a building were partially hidden within the shrubs and bushes littering the forest floor. Asher paused, shining his light toward the debris with a small frown.

"Come on, Ash!"

"I thought I saw something…" He said, taking a step toward the building, seeing a slender female crouching down and facing the single standing corner of the building. "Hello?" The female slowly straightened from her crouch, her cornflower blue sundress fluttering in the cool night breeze. She turned, black hair fluttering around her pale face. Asher's eyes grew wide as he looked down at the front of her dress, which was torn and smeared with blood.

"_How could you do this to me_?" The girl muttered between bloodied lips. "_HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?" _Her form flickered, and Asher screamed, dropping his flashlight and breaking into a run.

"Lauren, Deena, run!"

The two girls fled down the path and skirted around the gate, slowing only as they stepped out onto the road and began to walk down the smooth slope away from the path and the hidden graveyard. Lauren was panting heavily as she glanced over her shoulder, still holding the recording camera. "That was insane," She said with a nervous laugh. "You still with us, Ash?" When there was no answer, she looked over her shoulder with a frown. "Ash?"

"Think we should go back?"

"He's probably playing a trick on us," Lauren said, rolling her eyes. "….Right?"

A low moaning came from ahead of them, and the girls gave little squeaks of alarm before edging forward. Deena lifted her flashlight, shining it toward the woods. "Asher?" The circle of light fell over the thick ropes that pinned Asher to the trunk of a massive, twisted old tree and the multiple gashes that were scattered over his chest. Blood was pouring down the front of his shirt and staining the ropes as it dribbled to the ground.

The girls screamed.


	15. It's A Long Way To The Top

Ella frowned as she peered into the mini-fridge on the counter inside the dingy motel room. There was a couple bottles of water, some left over Chinese food, a Kit-Kat bar, and a half eaten burger, none of which sounded very appealing to her. Her stomach growled loudly, causing Dean to look up at her from Sam's laptop screen with an arched brow.

They had arrived at the Knight's Inn late the previous night, and she had been having serious hunger pains since. She was about five months along in her pregnancy, and instead of regular cravings she was supposed to be having, she was just hungry all the time, because everything she tried to eat made her sick. She sighed and closed the fridge, just as Sam emerged from the bathroom. Sam ran a hand through his damp hair, shivering a little. "There's no hot water here." He complained with a little sigh as he walked up to Dean, looking over his shoulder at the computer. "Find anything?" It had been a little over two months since they had left Kripke's Hollow after pumping Chuck dry. There had been no sign or word from Oshea since.

"Nothing more than we already know," Dean said, closing the laptop. "Guy found stabbed repeatedly, tied to a tree. It's happened a few times before, all in the past year. The place is pretty out of the way, so not that many people are ever out there."

Sam nodded slowly. "Were there any witnesses?"

"Not for any of the others," He shook his head. "But the most recent one, Asher... he had two of his friends with him right before he was killed. They're both in police custody... as suspects in his murder."

"We need to talk to them." Sam walked over to his duffel bag and pulled out a black suit. He pulled the dark trousers on then tossed the jacket onto the foot of his and Ella's bed as he buttoned up the

white shirt and tucked it into the waistband of the pants. "Ella, you stay here while Dean and I go down to the station, see if you can dig up anything about this place's history. Do you want me to get you anything while we're out?"

"Nah I'm good," She lied. "See you two in a bit. I'll see if I can find any skeletons in this town's closet."

Sam pulled on his jacket and walked over to Ella, giving her a small kiss on the forehead before he stepped away. "Alright, we won't be long. Love you." He said with a little smile as he and Dean left the room.

_xx_

"Something's up with your wife," Dean said as he pulled the Impala into one of the spaces in front of the Gastonia Police Station, putting the vehicle in park and turning off the engine.

Sam glanced over to his brother, his brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Sam, she hasn't really eaten in days... I don't know if it has to do with the pregnancy or what, but whatever it is, it isn't good."

Sam sighed as he looked away, running his fingers through his hair. "I just don't know what to do about it, Dean...," He said softly. "I'm really worried about her, but no one seems to know what's wrong... and I can't take her to a doctor again.."

"Yeah, that didn't really work out swimmingly last time," Dean said with frown as he got out of the car. "We'll figure something out." He closed the car door and they started towards the station entrance.

"I hope so," Sam said as he started after his brother, walking toward the station. "I just don't know what I would do if anything happened to her or the baby."

"I know, Sammy. I know." Dean pulled out his badge from the inside of his suit as they walked through the door into the partially crowded station.

Sam took in a deep breath, tugging out his own badge and toying with it as they stepped into the station. A young female officer stepped up to them, laying a hand on her hip as she looked at them both. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, we understand you have the two witnesses to Asher Caldwell's murder in custody. If possible we'd like to ask them a few questions," Dean said.

"And you are...?" The woman said, arching a brow.

"Agents Lennon and Starr," Sam said as they held up their badges. She glanced at the badges then nodded slowly.

"Wow, FBI, huh? Come on... they're over here." She stepped away from the door, leading them toward one of the interrogation rooms.

In the room there were two young women. One of them, the one with short dark brown hair, was sitting quietly at the table, while the other one was pacing around the small room nervously. She looked up as the men entered the room and quietly sat down next to the other girl. Sam walked up to the table and pulled out a chair, sitting down and lacing his fingers together on the surface of the table. "Alright, can

you both tell us your names?"

The brunette sighed. "I'm Lauren and this is Deena." She said, nodding toward the girl that had just sat down. Looking between them, she shook her head quickly. "We didn't kill Asher!"

"Calm down. Could you tell us exactly what happened that night?"

Lauren leaned back in the chair and looked away. "You won't believe us..."

"Try us, we might be more understanding than you think," Dean said, sitting down next to Sam.

Deena frowned as she looked at Lauren and then back at the men. "Everyone thinks we did it... why would you be any different?"

"Well, what do you have to lose by talking to us?" Sam said, arching a brow.

Lauren shrugged and sighed. "I guess that's true. We were out at Lincoln Academy. It used to be the site of some kind of school, but now it's just a little graveyard. We were taking pictures and video, hoping to get some evidence of spiritual activity. We're trying to join this ghost hunting team we found on the Internet and we thought if we got some good spirit photos or footage, they'd let us in."

"Ghost hunting team?" Dean repeated with an arched brow.

"Yeah, the Ghostfacers," Deena nodded.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sam said, rubbing his temples.

"No, no! It's true." Lauren said quickly.

Sam sighed, "Yeah, we know it's true. We've uh... dealt with them before."

"Oh my gosh, you've met them?" Her eyes grew wide.

"Unfortunately... now continue with the story?"

"Well, after a few minutes, we heard a girl's scream..." Deena said quietly "We all started running, but we had gotten split up from Asher somehow."

"And uh...," Lauren sniffed a little, lowering her eyes. "We went back to try to find Ash... and he was tied up to the tree. There was ... a-all of this blood... it was everywhere. We tried to get him down... but by the time we got him untied..." She swallowed hard. "That's when the police came..."

"He was our best friend," Deena nodded with a sniffle. "We never would have hurt him... you have to believe us."

"You said you two were recording, right? Did you happen to get any of it on film."

Deena sniffled again. "Yeah, but the uh.. the police have it."

Sam nodded and looked over to Dean. "You get the tape, I need to make a call." He said, standing up from the table. He looked back down at the girls. "Don't worry, we believe you. We're going to do everything we can to see that you both get out of here ASAP."


	16. The Show Must Go On

"Got the tape," Dean said, stepping from the station, waving the tape a little before walking up to Sam, who was standing on the sidewalk with his cell phone pressed against his ear.

"Good job, Dean." Sam said with a nod. "I'm talking to Ella, she was just about to tell me what she found out. I'll put her on speaker." He said, pulling the phone away from his ear and holding it between himself and Dean. "Go ahead, Ells, we're both listening."

"Well, I was finally able to dig up a little bit of into on the town's past.." She said. She paused for a moment, as the sound of clicking and tapping at the keyboard was heard. "Okay, so where that Asher guy was found hanging, right near there used to be a school, Lincoln Academy. A girl was driving to meet her family and her car broke down. She called her parents, but before they got there, these two guys rode up and kidnapped her. They took her to the school, tied her to a tree, and stabbed her to death, it was pretty brutal."

"So now its happening again," Sam said slowly, glancing up at Dean. "Maybe the spirit of the girl getting revenge? The victims have all been males haven't they?"

At the hotel, just as Ella was about to speak again, the lights of the hotel and the computer screen flickered. Static briefly filled the phone then faded.

"What the..." Ella mumbled, pulling the phone away from her ear, glancing down at it a moment as she quickly snatched the demon killing knife out from under her pillow. She stood up from the bed, looking around the room carefully. "Hello?"

Sam's brows furrowed as the burst of static tore through his speakers. "Ells? Ella, are you okay? What's going on?"

A woman looking to be in her late forties materialized in the room. She had messy dark hair streaked with grey and was clothed in a loosely fitting pale blue shirt and pants that could easily be recognized as a uniform. She smirked. "Hello, my dearest." She murmured before lifting a hand and laying the tips of her fingers against Ella's forehead.

Ella gasped, putting both of her hands protectively over her protruding stomach as she felt a sudden wave of nausea wash over her. She looked around her but all she could see was darkness. There was a soft sound, like fingers snapping. Then the lights hummed to life and Ella could see the woman standing just in front of her, her arms crossed over her chest. "Ella… it's been far, far too long."

"Who are you?" Ella asked, and then shook her head, backing away. "_What_ are you?"

"My name is Saraqueal." The woman said, dipping her head. "You must forgive me for appearing to you in this way. I'm borrowing your mother's body for the moment."

"Saraquel…" Ella muttered quietly. "Wait, Saraquel, as in Zachariah's superior? As in the angel who made him give me away?"

"I didn't make him give you away, that was his decision." Saraqueal said, giving a shake of his vessel's head. "Though, I might have told him that he would be cast out of Heaven for sleeping with a mortal and that if the higher ups found you, that it would be proof against him and he would never see you again…"

Ella shook her head. "What is with you angels? Why are you so hell-bent on making us all miserable?"

"It's just fun toying with you humans. You're so easy to manipulate. Take your mother for example. She was not very pleased about seeing an angel after all, but once I told her that I would restore her sight if she allowed me to walk around in her shoes, she was quick to agree. Unfortunately… I failed to mention that having me riding around in her meat suit will reduce her to a drooling vegetable when I leave."

"You…" She started to say, but she was so angry she couldn't think of anything to say. "So you've got me here. What do you want?"

"I want to make sure that my investment is being taken care of," He said with a smirk, walking toward her and touching her stomach.

Ella jerked away. "Excuse me? Your _investment?_"

"Yes, dear. Do you really think that you would even be here if I had not put the pieces into place?" Saraqueal said, arching a brow. "You owe me your existence."

"I don't owe you a damn thing," She said bitterly.

"Watch your tongue, human. After that child is born you will no longer be of any use for us. How is the little bundle of joy doing after all?" He questioned with a little smile.

Ella frowned. "I don't understand. Why exactly do you care?"

"Because, this child is going to change the balance of the world." The angel said with a smirk. "Once it is born, we will take it and raise it… and we will be able to wipe every single demon off the face of the planet."

"You're not taking my kid!"

"It amuses me that you think you have a choice in the matter," Saraqueal said with a soft chuckle.

"I would die before I let you angels do anything to this baby."

"Oh, don't worry, we'd planned on it." He said as he walked to her and touched her stomach again. "It would be a miracle if you even survived your pregnancy."

Ella slowly backed away. "Send me back now. You have no use for me until the baby is born, right? So let me go."

"Absolutely not." Saraqueal said, shaking the head of his vessel. "You're going to stay right here with me. I cannot allow you to get near that demon you call your sister. And I can't risk you traveling with those two idiotic Winchesters. You might damage the child."

"_Damage the child? _You can't just do this!" Ella said, her voice verging on hysteric.

"I can and I am… get comfortable here, Ella." Saraqueal gestured around the small dark room. "You're going to be here for the next few months."


	17. Happiest Days Of Our Lives

Sam Winchester jumped out of the Impala before it had come to a complete stop outside of the hotel. The passenger side door hung open as the younger Winchester brother dashed across the parking lot and fumbled with the keycard. His eyes widened as he saw that the door was standing partially ajar. "Ella? ELLA!" He shoved the door open and stepped into the middle of the room before turning a slow circle. The glass of the windows and the bathroom mirror had shattered, glass from the light bulbs in the lamps littered the floor and the pillows of the bed, the alarm clock's numbers were flickering.

Dean had barely stepped out of the vehicle by the time Sam was already in the room. He rushed after his brother, stopping suddenly in the doorway. He cursed under his breath. "Angels…" He muttered, shaking his head as he pulled out his Motorola flip phone from his pocket and started dialing.

"Knight's Inn, room 104. Get your angel-y butt here now."

"You wanted to see me?" Castiel was now standing in the room between the two brothers, the cell phone still held against his ear.

Dean jumped a little, and then arched a brow, slowly moving the phone from his face and closing it. "Yeah... Okay, let's start with, where the hell have you been, Cas, and where is Ella? I know it had to have been one of your angel buddies."

"Heaven is in chaos," Castiel said with a slight frown, inclining his head. "There have been so many angels that have betrayed us. No one knows who they can trust, and this has caused many problems. I have been given the unfortunate task of having to try to keep my siblings from turning on themselves." The angel surveyed the room calmly then nodded. "An archangel has been here..."

"Yeah, we get that, but why?" Dean asked, getting impatient.

"My guess is so that they could take Ella and keep her until she successfully gave birth to her child," Castiel said, turning to look at Dean.

"What? Why?"

"The child she is carrying is very important, Dean." Castiel replied. "It is going to be a very powerful being. There is a good chance... that she will not survive the pregnancy..."

Sam's eyes widened and the color drained from his face. "W-what..?"

"You're telling us this now?" Dean said, raising his eyebrows. "Where did they take her?"

"I have no idea." Castiel shook his head. "Whoever it is, they are keeping her hidden from me. I will ask around. Ella is very important to the angels, I am sure that someone will know where she is." Before the Winchesters could question him further, he was gone with a soft fluttering of wings.

Sam shook his head. "No... no, I can't lose Ella again. And there is no telling what the angels will do with our baby once it is born. Dean, we have to find her."

"I know, Sam, but we have no idea where she is. The angels could have poofed her halfway across the world by now."

"I don't care! We have to find her. There has to be something we can do." Sam said, shaking his head. "We could go to Bobby's or find a psychic, something! I can't just sit around while my wife and child are in danger."

"You heard Cas, Sam... Ella's being protected for now, and he's working on trying to find her. While here, we still have a case, remember? People are gonna die if we don't wrap this up.." Dean sighed. "You know I want to find Ella, but we can't do anything. No psychic is going to be able to know where she is, I'm sure the angel who took her made sure of that."

Sam sighed running his fingers through his hair. "Fine...," He said, sinking down to sit on the edge of his and Ella's bed. "So what are we supposed to do now?"

Dean took a deep breath. "Well, I guess we look into that murder that Ella mentioned, see what we can dig up on that, for starters. We find the girl's name, see where she's buried. Usual drill."

"Alright... I guess I can do a little research, see if I can find her name." Sam said weakly, his thoughts still on Ella and their child.

He nodded. "I'll go out, do some asking around, and bring us back some food If people think the area is haunted, someone's bound to know something," He said, heading for the door. He turned around, standing in the doorway of the motel room. "And don't worry, Sam. I'm sure Ella is fine. Cas will find her."

Not long after Dean drove away from the hotel, Castiel appeared in the passenger seat of the Impala. "Dean..."

Dean jumped at the sudden voice inside of his vehicle. "Do you always have to do that?" He rolled his eyes, and then glanced over at Cas for a moment. "Please tell me you've got some news on Ella."

"Forgive me. I do have information concerning Ella. I waited until you had left before coming to tell you. I did not want your brother to hear," Castiel said, glancing to Dean.

Dean arched a brow, looking at Castiel and then back at the road as he was stopped at a red light. "And why is that?"

"This is a delicate situation, Dean." Castiel said, furrowing his brows slightly. "I am afraid that Sam would do something rash. Ella is with Saraqueal, a very powerful archangel. He is the one who arranged for Zachariah to be the guardian angel of Ella's mother... the one who forced Zachariah to give her to the Blackwood's. He is intending to keep her with him until she gives birth then take the child from her."

"This is some screwed up family you got there, Cas," Dean shook his head. "Since I'm pointing out the obvious... we can't let this happen. This.. Saraqueal guy can suck it, because he's not keeping Ella or the kid. So work some angel mojo or whatever and get her here."

"What part of 'very powerful archangel' escapes your comprehension?" Castiel arched a brow, looking over at Dean. "I cannot simply go there and take her from him. Joel and Jude, hers and the child's guardians have been notified and are going now to try to reason with him. I doubt very seriously that they will be successful. You must realize that this child... nothing like it has ever been conceived before. It has the blood of angels and demons... the angels want the child and the demons will want it, too. You will have to decide whether you and your brother will be able to keep it safe should we be successful in retrieving Ella. It might be better to leave it in the care of the angels…"

"You're kidding me right? Because the angels have done such a bang up job of protecting Ella so far," Dean rolled his eyes. "If- no, when, we get Ella back, she's staying with us. End of story."

"It's better than the alternative." Castiel said with a shake of his head. "I do not have to tell you that it would be disastrous if the demons got a hold of it. Though I can see why you would not want the angels it have it, considering they plan to use the child to rid the world of all demons... including Oshea."

Dean sighed, shaking his head. When he turned his head to say something to Castiel, he found the seat empty.


	18. Echoes

The room where Saraqueal had left her stood in the middle of a dark grove of tall fir trees. The building was composed of old wallpaper that was grey and flaking like dead skin from the brick the house was composed of. There were two windows side by side on the wall; both were boarded up with old decaying planks with rusted, twisted nails. A single naked bulb dangled from a tangle of colored wires. A rusty chain from the light and swung gently back and forth. An old lawn chair with peeling white paint and tattered strips of fabric stretched across the frame. The floor of the room was nonexistent; it was merely a foundation of dirt and the carcasses of dead leaves. A broken door was leaned against the space of wall between the two boarded windows.

The light bulb flickered and hissed, and Ella could hear the fluttering of wings as two figures appeared in the room with her. The swinging bulb cast long shadows of their forms against the back wall, including the pairs of massive black wings. One was a young man with shaggy black hair clad in a white button down shirt messily tucked into a pair of black trousers. A matching black tie was loosely fastened about his neck. His brows were creased with concern. "Ella?" Beside him stood a tall older male with pale white hair wearing a grey suit with a dark blue tie. His hands were clasped behind his back.

"Child? Are you here?"

"Joel?" She said, standing from the old chair she had been resting on. She glanced over at the older man, squinting her eyes. "And.. Jude, right? It's about time.. I've been here for hours. I'm hungry, cold... and this kid isn't playing nice with my bladder," She said, crossing her arms over her chest and shivering a little.

Jude stepped forward to her, shedding his dark suit jacket and draping it around her. "Do not be afraid. We are here to help. We are going to speak with Sar-" He stopped, glancing up as the light bulb began to flicker madly and burst, showering glass down on the dirt floor. There was a rush of wings and suddenly the archangel appeared without his vessel. The angel was tall and lean with six wings spreading from his back. He strode up behind of Joel and lifted his hands, placing them on either side of the young angel's head. Joel's eyes widened and he screamed as bright pale blue light burst from his eyes and open mouth. Jude narrowed his eyes and curved an arm protectively around Ella's shoulders as Joel's scream grew louder and louder until it was a piercing screech. The pale light burst outward then abruptly darkened as Joel's vessel burst, spraying blood and matter across dirt floor and the pale walls.

Ella gasped quietly as blood and... other things splattered on the walls and onto her and Jude. "Oh my god... Joel..."

Jude pulled Ella into his arms and placed a protective hand against the back of her head. Saraqueal chuckled softly and shook his head. "Go on... it matters not. Wherever you go, I will find you." With that, Jude and Ella vanished with the soft fluttering of wings. Ella then found herself standing in hotel room where Sam was pacing back and forth, a cell phone held to his ear. He looked up as she appeared and his eyes widened. He shut the phone. "Ella..."

Ella swallowed, shaking a little. "Joel.. he uh..." Her voice trailed off.

Sam looked her over, seeing the splatters of blood and he grimaced, slowly walking toward her. "It's okay, Ella... you're safe now." He said softly, moving toward her and placing a hand against the small of her back. He led her slowly into the bathroom after grabbing one of his shirts from his bag. He helped her to take off the bloodied clothes and cleaned her face gently with a damp rag after she had changed into his shirt. He frowned a little as he saw something in her hair. Carefully, he plucked it out and held it in his palm, his eyes growing wide. "Oh my God... this... is this a molar?"

Ella's eyes widened. "I think I'm going to be sick," She said with a frown.

Sam tossed the molar away and combed his fingers gently through her hair, making sure there were no more body parts before he pulled away and knelt in front of her. "Ella... what happened?"

"Well," She took a deep breath before continuing. "Saraquel, one of Zachariah's superiors, kidnapped me... said he was going to keep me there til the baby was born... then Jude and Joel showed up, and Saraqueal... well, long story short... Joel exploded. Like a water balloon of chunky soup. Hence the outfit being redecorated in red and the molar in my hair."

"Saraqueal killed Joel?" Sam repeated, his brows furrowing. "That doesn't make any sense..." His voice trailed off and he sighed, looking up at her again. He touched her cheek gently. "You're all cleaned up now, and you're safe. I'm going to make sure of it. I'll get some Enochian sigils and devil's traps, the whole shebang." He stood then leaned down and kissed her forehead. "You should get some rest..."

Ella shook her head. "Nah, I can't sleep after that... I need to stay awake, stay busy. Where's Dean?"

"He's out talking to some of the townspeople about the murder, trying to find a name so we can head out to the local cemetery for a bonfire." He said, stepping away from her. He walked to his duffel bag and pulled out a couple cans of spray paint and a small spiral notebook where he had sketched out various sigils and traps. Giving the can a shake, he began to get to work.

_xx_

"Ella has been safely retrieved," Castiel once again had appeared without warning in the passenger seat of Dean's car. His voice was quiet, almost sad.

Dean swerved a little in the road, startled by Castiel's sudden reappearance, before jerking back in the right lane. He shook his head. "Well that was quick. Was it really necessary to give me a heart attack though?"

"She is back with your brother now," Castiel said quietly, keeping his eyes down.

"Any problems?" He asked, arching a brow.

"Joel was killed," Castiel replied, maintaining his stoic expression despite the sadness in his voice.

Dean glanced over at Castiel for a moment before looking back at the road. He nodded. "Well he's died once already, right? He could come back."

Castiel lifted his eyes and turned to Dean. "Not this time, Dean...," he murmured. "Saraqueal is exceedingly powerful. Second only to Michael..." He sighed and looked up toward the roof of the car. "There are some things even we cannot come back from." With that, he disappeared with a soft fluttering of wings.


	19. If You Want Blood

When Dean returned to the motel room and stepped inside, he found it redecorated with Devil's Traps (one under the rug at the door, another by the window) and an Enochian sigil on the back of the door. Ella was sitting up on the bed against the headboard, Sam's laptop on her lap. Sam was just finishing drawing a symbol on the back of the bathroom door with blood from his hand. "Hey, Dean. Ella and I've been doing some research. We think we've found the name of the spirit."

"That's good, cause I got squat. Who are we dealing with?"

Ella turned around the laptop so he could see. "Emma Doyle... she lived a couple of states away from here, actually, so she didn't go to Lincoln Academy or live in this state whatsoever. She was kidnapped from the side of the road where her car had broken down, and was brought all the way here by the two guys," Ella sighed. "They tied her up in a tree... did... _things_.. and killed her. Ever since then there has been reports of odd things happening there... Some people said that they could feel a presence or something..."

"So we're probably not going to be able to find her bones here," Sam said with a frown. "More than likely, her family had her brought back to bury her and her ghost keeps returning here where she was killed." Sam looked over to Ella then to Dean with a sigh. "Problem is... I just... I don't think Ella is up for that long of a drive..."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Sure, just because I'm pregnant I can't go anywhere anymore," She muttered.

"It's not just that, Ella," Sam said, turning around to face her. "You've been acting different. Dean and I have both noticed it. You barely eat, you don't sleep much... you need rest for you and the baby, all of this stress it's not good for you."

"So I'm supposed to just sit back and do the research while you guys do the actual work? Screw tha-"

Dean cleared his throat. "Hate to side with the hormonal pregnant lady... but she just got kidnapped by an archangel, and who knows how many angels and demons are gonna come after her... Do you really think we should leave her here alone while we drive like four hours to Georgia, then four hours back here?"

"We're not going to drive. We're going to have Cas poof us down there and back. It won't take long to burn the remains and Ella is going to stay in the hotel room," Sam said, shooting his wife a look. "While we're gone. There are devils traps and sigils here to keep everything out."

Ella glared back at her husband before rolling her eyes. "Fine. But next time don't expect me to just sit around. Next time you better believe that I'm gonna do some serious spirit ass-kicking."

Dean raised his eyebrows at Ella. "Okay.."

"Of course, as long as you're feeling better. We have to think about the baby now, too, Ella." He said with a frown. He walked over to her and kissed her forehead before starting to the door. "Just stay here. We'll be back."

_xx_

Fifteen minutes had passed since Sam and Dean left the motel, and Ella realized she was hungry. She opened the mini-fridge, and closed it with a sigh. The only contents were a couple of cans of soda, and a half eaten wrapped burger. Forty five more minutes passed, and the ever so pleasant hunger pains began. She finally gave up, and threw on her black button up coat, which would no longer button up thanks to the baby bump, stuck the demon killing knife in the inside pocket, and walked out of the door. _There's a Food Lion just down the street_, she thought_. I'll just pop in, grab some goodies, then get back to the motel. No problem._

As soon as she reached the store, she found a handsome young man standing outside just by the door, leaning against the wall. He had jaw length dark hair and a little stubble decorating his jaw. He was clothed in a patterned button down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and a grey vest. The shirt was pushed into a pair of dark denim pants and a checkered tie was loosely hanging about his throat. "Hello, Ellie." He said, turning up his full lips in a little smirk.

Ella was just walking through the door when she heard the man. She jerked her head in his direction, reflexively reaching for the knife in her coat. "It's Ella. Who are you?"

"Name's Randy. Randy Giles," He said with a little nod. Lifting his hands in surrender, he chuckled. "No need to pull out your little toy, there. I come in peace. How've you been, Ella? Feeling okay?" He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and stepped very close to her.

"Randy _Giles? Randy _Giles?" She repeated, staring at him incredulously. Do I know you?" She asked, arching a brow as she wrapped her fingers around the handle of the knife tightly.

"No, but I know you, and your sister. The newest recruit into our little club," He said as he blinked and his eyes became black. They turned normal again, and he shook his head. "I came to check on you. You're very important to us, you know. You and your little bun in the oven." He said, brushing his hand against her bulging abdomen.

"If you don't move your hand I'm going to cut it off," She said, gritting her teeth.

"You've been feeling bad, haven't you, Ella? Real bad... worse than you should be feeling." Randy said, suddenly becoming serious as he pulled his hand away. "You're hungry all the time... and food doesn't quite cut it, am I right?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, I feel fine," She lied.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you about lying?" The young man clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Oh wait... I forgot. Your mum is a lil barmy." He said with a wide grin, spinning one finger by his temple.

_Why does Sam always have to be right? Why couldn't I have stayed at the motel? _Ella pushed the thoughts away. "Could we skip past this chit chat and get to the point that for your sake I hope you have?"

"Sure thing, love. The reason you're feeling so bad, the reason none of this human slop can satisfy your hunger... is because you're not hungry for food." He reached into his pocket and pulled free a switchblade, flicking it upon and pressing the tip into his wrist. The blade easily severed the thick vein and blood began to trickle down his arm. "You're hungry for this... this is what your baby wants... this is what it needs."

"Demon blood? No way. Why the hell would I drink that?"

Randy did not speak, but flicked his wrist, splashing a little blood on the wall. The wound closed up, and he shook his head. "Gonna do this the hard way, hm? I was hoping you would." He pressed one arm against her chest shoving her against the wall violently and pinning her there. With his other hand, he pinched closed her nostrils and tilted his head. He pressed his teeth down onto his tongue until it bled then when she had opened her mouth to breathe, he pressed his lips to hers and pushed his bleeding tongue into her mouth. He smeared the warm liquid over the roof of her mouth as he deepened the kiss.

She let the kiss go on for a moment before she thrust the blade of the knife into the demon's abdomen, twisting it. Randy gave a little gasp against her lips and his brows furrowed. He smirked a little and spat the blood that was bubbling in his mouth into hers as he crumbled down to his knees then fell backwards onto the ground. Light surged through his body before fading and leaving his body motionless on the pavement.

Ella hurried back to the motel as quick as her pregnant self could waddle, and was relieved to see that Sam and Dean had not returned yet. She quickly grabbed her duffle bag, stuffing her belongings back into it.

Only a few moments after she returned, the door opened and Sam and Dean walked in with Cas following behind them. The angel stopped abruptly just outside of the door with a small frown. "I cannot come any further."

Sam looked over his shoulder, "Sorry, Cas. Just a precaution... thanks for your help." The angel nodded and vanished. Sam turned back to Ella with a frown as he saw her packing their bags. "Ella... is everything okay?"

Ella glanced up at him. "What? Oh yeah, I'm fine.." She cleared her throat. "I just figured we'd be skipping town as soon as you guys finished up the case. Speaking of which, how'd it go?"

"Uh... well, we were planning on chilling here for the night then heading out in the morning. It's been a long day. The girl wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of us roasting marshmallows over her bones." Sam said with a shake of his head. He frowned as he heard a noise outside, and he walked to the window. "Are those sirens?"

Ella's eyes widened a bit. "Uh.. oh, I was listening to the police scanner. I think a gas station got robbed or something," She said quickly. "Anyway, we can head to Sandpoint. I did a little bit of research while you guys were gone, I think there could be a case there. I'll drive, you guys can get some z's?"

Dean thought for a moment. As much as he didn't like other people driving his car, he was pretty tired. It had been a long day. He arched a brow before he finally sighed and tossed his sister-in-law the car keys. "Fine. You do know what happens if you let anything happen to my baby, though, right?"

Ella nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I die a painful and violent death, blah blah blah, I know. Let's just get outta here."

_**A/N: Randy Giles is reference to an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer that we thought might be amusing to just stick into the story to see if anyone would recognize it XDDD**_


	20. Give Me A Ticket For An Aeroplane

Ella had only been driving for about an hour or two, and Dean was already passed out in the backseat. Sam, who was sitting in the passengers seat next to her trying to keep her company, had dozed off as well, his head propped up against his window.

"The Letter" by the Box Tops played quietly on the radio. Ella reached over and turned it the volume knob up a notch.

_Give me a ticket for an aeroplane, ain't got time to take a fast train..._

Ella watched the surroundings go by as she drove, but she wasn't paying attention. The words that demon Randy had said were still fresh in her mind. She didn't want to believe what he said was true... but it made sense. Sam had demon blood in him, after all. It only made sense that it would be passed down to their child. But that worried her more than anything. Oshea had gone down a terrible path with the demon blood and the lying and sneaking around... if she started doing the same thing-

No. She wouldn't. She loved her sister, but she wasn't like her. She wouldn't touch another drop of demon blood if her life depended on it.

Though it wasn't only her life that depended on it...

_...Lonely days are gone, I'ma goin' home. My baby just wrote me a letter._


	21. Sheer Heart Attack

SANDPOINT, IDAHO

Renee Gamble was humming softly to herself as she padded barefoot across the pale sand of the Sandpoint Beach. A tank top hugged her torso and a pair of dark denim Capri pants hugged her curvy hips. Her skin was dark as was her shoulder length, straight hair. Her brown eyes were scanning the songs that were listed on the screen of her iPod as she walked. It was overcast, and not many people were hanging around the quiet shore that bordered the small, peaceful lake. It was the perfect place for her to clear her head after just having a chaotic break-up with her boyfriend. She stepped out onto the small dock that extended over the water and leaned her arms against the railing as Florence and the Machine began to play through the headphones of her iPod.

A young fair skinned blonde woman stepped out onto the dock, a faint smile on her lips. Her hips swayed slightly in the long skirt she was wearing as she walked behind her. She reached over, tapping the girl on her shoulder.

Renee jumped a little and pulled out the earbuds of her iPod, turning around slowly. "Girl, you about made me jump outta my skin. Who are y-" Her words dissolved into a blood curdling scream that tore through her throat. She felt like she would never stop screaming, the thing that stood before her was so terrible. Her scream suddenly died to a choking whimper as she fell backwards. The old railing gave way beneath her and she fell into the water with a soft splash. Small bubbles drifted from her partially opened lips, dying on the surface of the water as she sank down to the lakebed.

The woman's appearance returned to normal, and she stepped over to the very edge of the dock, where the railing would have been. Her grey eyes stared down, watching as a small orb of white light rose from the water until it was at eye level. It slowly moved towards her and into her partly opened lips. She gasped quietly and then blinked, smiling as she walked from the dock.

_xx_

Sam Winchester shook his head as he stepped out of the morgue with his elder brother by his side. The two were dressed in crisp suits, having just posed as FBI agents to gain access to the bodies of the recently deceased Renee Gamble. "The report says she died of a heart attack, but she was perfectly healthy, never had any heart problems or anything..."

"Yeah, and plus, she was just like, what, twenty? She's the third so called heart attack this month, and not the only one that young, either," Dean said, opening the door to the Impala and getting in.

Sam climbed in the driver's side. "And did you see her face? She looked terrified, just like the photos of the others... there's definitely something strange going on here. Too bad there weren't any witnesses..."

"Guess we got a long day of researching ahead of us...try to put a list together of all the things that can just stop a person's heart..." He nodded. "And there's no sign that she was fed off of, no organs missing, her heart just gave out... so whatever it is wasn't hungry, just kill happy."

"Alright," Sam said as he drove them back to the small motel they were currently staying in. The Sandpoint Inn had only ten rooms stacked on top of one another in two rows with a small building off to one side that housed the check-in desk. "We could call Bobby, too. See if he's heard of anything like this."

"I'm on it," Dean said with a nod, pulling out his cell phone as he got out of the vehicle and tossed his brother the extra keycard for the motel room "I'll meet you inside."

Sam climbed out of the car and caught the key that was tossed to him. He pressed it into the door and stepped inside the dim, quiet room. "Ella? You up?" He whispered as he slipped inside and closed the door behind himself. Ella had been exhausted after the drive there and had collapsed into bed immediately after they had gotten there. He walked to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, reaching to stroke back her hair. "Ella... are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, just tired.. and a little hungry," She responded, her voice a little muffled as it was partly hidden underneath the covers.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" Sam whispered, his brows furrowing slightly with concern.

There wasn't. But if she told him that, he'd only continue with that puppy dog look in his eyes, which made her feel even worse. "I guess I've kinda been craving some tacos..." She said, which was only half a lie. "Maybe an icee... or a soda... you know what, just surprise me," She forced a smile as she turned over slightly and looked at him.

Sam smiled back, glad that there was finally something he could do to at least cheer her up a little. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. "Your wish is my command." He said, standing up from the bed. "I'll be back. Keep an eye on her for me, Dean." With that, he stepped from the hotel room.

Dean sat down at the small table near the window, trying to do a little research on Sam's computer since he couldn't get a hold of Bobby. He was having a hard time focusing on the case. He needed to see Oshea... he hated being all Mr. Vulnerable and stuff, but he missed her. His brain was telling him it was stupid... she was pretty much a demon now, until she held up her end of the bargain with Crowley. But that didn't change the past few years.

Ella standing up from the bed and digging through her duffle bag snapped Dean out of his daze and he looked over at her, arching a brow. "What are you doing?"

She ignored him for a moment, pulling out a change of clothes from the bag. "I'm gonna walk around the beach til Sam gets back..." She said quietly, heading for the bathroom.

"I don't know if you remember, but you narrowly missed becoming some angel's bitch, just like, yesterday... Sam doesn't wanna let you out of our sight"

Ella sighed. Lying would get her nowhere with Dean. Sam? Probably. But Dean? He could see through her crap. "I need to go see Oshea. I know, I know, it's stupid. But she's my sister. I feel like I'm going crazy, stuck in a room with two guys all the time, and I need to talk to Oshea about some things. I understand if you try to stop me, but-"

"Go."

"What?"

Dean sighed, shaking his head as closed the laptop. "She's your sister, Ella, I can't stop you from going to talk to her. And I definitely don't want you to sit here and go on and on about girl and pregnancy stuff to me. So go... but if you don't get back in time, or something happens, just know Sam will kill me and then I'm gonna have to haunt your ass."

Ella smiled a little. "Sounds about right to me."


	22. Come As You Are

After taking a very quick shower, she pulled her damp hair into a messy ponytail, changed into her clothes, and darted out the door. She had remembered there being a crossroads about five minutes from the hotel, but she was walking, so it took twice as long. The cold wind blew bitterly against her face, and she stuck her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. It was when she was approaching the crossroads, she realized Oshea might not show. It was a different crossroads, after all... but it was too late to turn back now. She pulled the small metal box out of her pocket, burying it in the center of the crossroads.

And then she waited.

"You've become a very popular girl lately. Three other crossroads demons were just itching to get sent here. Luckily this is close enough to my crossroads that I was able to get here first," Oshea stepped forward, her low cut, short black dress dancing just over her knees. "What's going on, Ella. I know you're not really here to make a deal."

"Well hello to you too, little sis..." Ella grumbled quietly. "I think there's something wrong with me... with the baby. I don't know who else to talk to..."

Oshea's brows furrowed as she walked to her and laid a hand against her stomach. She ran her fingers over the curve of her bulging abdomen. "Wow," She whispered quietly. "The rumors are true then... I've been hearing so much..." She looked up at her sister and pulled her hand away. "I know what you need to do, but... you're not going to like it."

"No..." Ella shook her head. "I know what you're going to say... and I'm not doing it..."

"Come on, Ella," Oshea said with a shake of her head. "It would help...a lot, and it's not that bad. You wouldn't need much. I could give it to you myself.."

"You-..." Ella stared at her in shock. "Do you hear yourself right now? I mean, stop a second and listen to what you're saying. You're telling your pregnant sister to go drink some demon blood, that it's _not that bad, _as if we're just having a normal conversation about the weather or something."

"Sorry, I didn't realize you wanted me to lie to you, let me try again," Oshea said hesitating a moment before plastering on a fake smile. "Oh, Ella, you're going to be just fine. This is all perfectly normal! Just drink some Ovaltine and you'll be fine." Her smile dropped off and she shook her head. "No... okay? You are not having a normal child or a normal pregnancy. The demon blood it's just like... taking vitamins. There's nothing wrong with it. I'll give it to you so you won't be stealing it or anything. You have to think about the baby's health here..."

"Nothing _wrong _with it?" Ella stared at her for a moment and then scoffed. "If there's nothing wrong with it, and this whole demon blood thing is just super duper normal, then why did you keep it a secret from us all for so long? Why did you sneak around behind our backs, giving it up to Jonah in return for a little of the red stuff, huh?"

Oshea stiffened, lowering her eyes. Thinking about everything that had happened with Jonah, how it had ended up getting her to where she was now, it still hurt. She took a step backwards and shook her head. "I was just trying to help, Ella. I'm sorry I was a little snappy, I just..." Her voice trailed off. There was no reason burdening Ella with her problems when it was obvious Ella had a full plate. "I kept it a secret because I knew you all would be like this... that you wouldn't understand. I'm sorry, Ella, but you're going to have to take some sooner or later or you're not going to make it..."

Ella shook her head, chuckling humorlessly. "You're right... I don't understand. I don't understand why you're still lying about it. You didn't hide it from everyone because you were afraid we wouldn't understand. You hid it because you knew what you were doing was wrong, and you were ashamed. And you should be." Tears started to well up in Ella's eyes but she wiped them away. "I miss my sister... Oshea. What's happening with me... I just want it to go away. I want things to be the way they were before..." She inhaled shakily. "But who am I kidding. Things aren't ever going to be the same."

"Maybe I was drinking the blood for the wrong reasons, maybe that was wrong, but Ella... this is different. You need this for your baby." Oshea said, stepping toward her. "What are you so afraid of? Becoming like me?" She said weakly. "That's not going to happen because you're not going to get hooked on it like I did... you have Sam right beside you and I'm going to help you. You'd be surprised how much good just a few drops will do you..."

Ella shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't do it... I know it's for the baby.. but I can't." She turned away from her. "If I give this baby what it wants... and it gets in the wrong hands... well, you remember our last apocalypse. It's not going to be pretty. There are demons and angels, I don't know how many but I'm guessing a lot, following me around, just waiting on this kid to pop out of me so they can take it and get rid of me, so the last thing I need right now is to start chugging demon blood."

"No, that is the first thing you should be doing. I'm not suggesting 'chugging it,' but if you don't take at least a small portion, you're going to get weaker and weaker until you die. You won't be able to defend yourself or your baby, and these angels and demons, they'll get their way." Oshea sighed.

"I can't do this anymore... Oshea... I'm tired," She combed a hand through her hair as she glanced up at her. "I... I shouldn't have come here. It was stupid of me to think you'd be against this... that you'd put aside your opinions and treat me like your sister again and help me." She started to walk away.

Oshea frowned and narrowed her eyes, walking after Ella. "I have always treated you like my sister!" She snapped. "I'm trying to help you! Stop acting so high and mighty just because your daddy happens to be an angel! You're knowingly putting the life of your baby at risk. At least I was trying to do something good when I was drinking the blood. I was helping people." She shook her head. "Fine. Be all holier than thou, but it's just going to get worse. You're going to start to smell it when a demon is near you… you'll hear their heartbeat, hear the blood rushing through their veins… you're going to drive yourself crazy and then you're going to snap… and it's not going to be pretty. Trust me, I know. Once you've had a taste… the craving doesn't go away."

Ella wanted to stop and turn around and give her a piece of her mind, but she just kept walking, not looking back until she had reached the motel. Her eyes were red from crying most of the way back. Fortunately for her, Sam hadn't gotten back yet. Unfortunately for her, Dean was there to see her enter the room looking like she was about to fall to pieces.

"I'm fine." She said before he had even opened his mouth to say anything. She went straight to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.


	23. Wishful Sinful

"I examined the bodies as you requested," Castiel said after he abruptly appeared in the middle of the hotel room. It had been three days since Ella had spoken to Oshea, and since then two more people had died. Castiel looked to Dean. "The souls of the victims have been stolen."

Ella's brows furrowed. "So people are getting killed and having their souls stolen... why does this sound familiar..." She reached for the laptop on the mattress and pulled it open.

"You have any idea what's going on here, Cas?" Dean asked.

The angel's brows furrowed faintly. "I know only that the people who died, died because of intense fear and that their souls were violently torn from them."

"Soul eaters..." Ella said after a couple taps on the keyboard. "They're witches, basically... they turn into something that they know will scare that specific person to death."

"Which explains the heart attacks," Dean nodded. "So they scare a person to death... literally. Then they take their soul."

"So we're dealing with witches. You're favorite thing, Dean." Sam said with a little smirk. "What would a witch want with someone's soul?"

"Man I hate witches," Dean muttered.

"No idea... it doesn't say," Ella frowned, closing the laptop.

"It's probably for the demon," Castiel said, with a nod.

"Demon? But it's a witch, isn't it?" Sam said, his brows furrowing.

"Witches get their powers from demons," The angel replied. "It is kind of a deal between them. Perhaps the souls are the payment for the demon granting the witch powers."

"But there's no link between any of the victims... no one the people have in common... so there's pretty much no way for us to know who the witch is," Ella said.

"She's right," Dean said. "But the longer we sit here, the more souls they're gonna take. I don't know about you, but I've had it up to here with this demon crap, so we've gotta figure something out, and fast."

"Wait, Castiel, you were able to tell that the souls were gone, right? Is there anyway you can figure out where they are now?" Sam said, standing up from the bed where he had been sitting. The angel nodded.

"The souls the witch has already given to the demon are most likely already in Hell, but I should be able to find the ones that were just taken if the witch has not given them over yet." The angel vanished without another word then reappeared a few seconds later. "I've found them."

_xx_

Dean, Ella, and Sam approached the nice two story suburban home. A black BMW was parked in the driveway. "You should probably wait in the car," Dean said to Ella as they walked up the paved walkway, gesturing back at the Impala.

"Sure, just leave the pregnant girl in the car alone in a weird suburban neighborhood. Like this doesn't already spell horror flick to begin with. Screw that, I'm coming with," She said, tucking her handgun in the back of her jeans and covering it with the back of her shirt, like Sam and Dean had done.

Dean rolled his eyes. Sam stepped up to the house and knocked on the door. When it was opened, he stepped inside. "Mrs. Jones? My colleagues and I have a couple of questions we need to ask you, ma'am." He said, flashing his FBI badge.

The woman glanced at each of them suspiciously for a moment. "What's this about?" She asked, pushing a strand of blonde hair from her face.

"We're here to investigate the recent string of deaths." Sam said.

The woman's eyes widened a bit. "O-of course, anything to help, come in."

"Did you know any of the victims personally?" Sam asked as he stepped into the house followed by Ella and Dean.

"I went to high school with Renee Gamble's mother," She replied with a nod as she led them into the living room and sat down.

"Can you tell us anything about Renee? Did she have any health problems that you know of? Weak heart... anything like that?"

Lori thought for a moment. "Not that I know of. I haven't really spoken to her mother since high school."

"Why is that?" Ella asked.

"We had a... disagreement, I guess you could say, during senior year. Needless to say she never got over it, so we grew apart."

Ella nodded. "May I ask what the disagreement was about?"

The woman's brows furrowed. "I don't understand what this has to do with anythi-"

"Just answer the question," Dean said.

Lori cast a glare in his direction before looking back at Ella. "Just a fight over a boy, it was really stupid, to be honest. But despite her mother, Renee was a good kid. She was a good student, a good person. She was a few years older than my own daughter, Katherine, and she treated her like a sister."

"I'm sorry about my partner's rudeness," Sam said, glancing to Dean. "We're just short on leads and we don't want anyone else to have to die." He said, offering her a little smile. "Ma'am... I know this is going to sound strange. But... do you or anyone you know of practice witchcraft? We have reason to believe that the perpetrator is dabbling in the occult."

She stared at them for a moment. "These people died of heart attacks... What on earth are you talking about?"

Ella cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, do you mind if I use your restroom?"

Lori shook her head. "Not at all... up the stairs, second door on the left."

Ella nodded at her, and gave a meaningful glance at Sam and Dean before she wandered up the stairs.

"I'm sorry about all of these questions, I know everyone in town is on edge over these deaths. It's a tragic loss, really. But we're just trying to be very thorough, trying to figure out what's causing them," Dean explained, trying his best to be polite.

She nodded. "I understand. You're just doing your job. Would you two like anything to drink? Water, soda?"

"Coke for me, please," Sam said with a smile, clasping his fingers together. "Thank you." After the woman had left, Sam looked over at Dean then stood up and quietly hurried to a desk sitting against one of the walls and pulled it open. "What do you think, Dean? She doesn't seem like she's lying." He whispered.

"Well Cas gave us this address, so if Cas made a mistake tracing the souls, and that's a big if, we're wasting our time here," Dean said, quietly rummaging through the drawer in the coffee table and looking underneath the couch. "I don't think there's anything here."

"You're right... Cas hasn't steered us wrong before." Sam said, closing the desk and moving toward a book shelf to scan the titles. "At least not on purpose. Nothing here either except cookbooks and... books on Robert Pattinson."

Dean quickly moved back to sit on the couch as the woman returned to the room with a couple of cans of sodas. "Here you go."

Dean smiled, taking the drink. "Oh, just another question that popped into my head...heh. You don't happen to run a book club do you?" When the woman stared at him, he shook his head and sipped at his drink. "Nevermind."


	24. 7 Shades Of Black

Quickly after, Dean and Sam were standing out by the Impala, waiting on Ella to come back out. "I checked all the upstairs rooms," She said once she had reached the car, crossing her arms over her chest. "No human souls floating around, no suspicious books, animal bones, hex bags. Not even scented candles for crying out loud. If she's got anything, she's hiding it well. And I mean really well."

"Well, I just left a message for Cas to check in with us, but I don't know when... or if... he's going to get it... you know how that goes." Sam said, shaking his head as he closed his phone. "I say we go to the library, see what kind of records we can dig up. For now, I think we should stick with Lori. Maybe look up criminal records or something."

"I'm exhausted, I think I'm just gonna head back to the motel and sleep for a couple hours," Ella said, climbing into the back seat of the car.

Sam looked at her a little worriedly. "Maybe I should stay at the hotel with you. Dean can go and do some research..."

Ella rolled her eyes and sighed. "I don't need a babysitter, Sam, just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I've lost the ability to be alone for a couple hours. We've gotta figure out this whole witch thing, and lets be honest, you're the best with research. I'll be fine, okay?"

The conversation of the rest of the drive to the hotel followed a similar pattern: Sam spouting out his words and Ella biting back with reassurances that she could take care of herself. Finally, Sam sighed and nodded, watching her walked toward the room. "Okay, but as soon as you get in put up devil's traps and sigils to keep everything out... we won't be gone too long."

She rolled her eyes, walking back to him. "You worry too much," She said, and then stood up on her tip-toes to give him a quick kiss before she walked back to the room.

When they were gone, she stepped into the room, locking the door behind her She slipped out of her shoes and changed into something more comfortable, before climbing into bed and laying on her back, which was killing her after a long morning of sitting up and walking around inside the potential witch's home. She stared at her large stomach, which was covered up by a slightly oversized Boston t-shirt (however now it seemed to fit her perfectly.) Thoughts distracted her from what she was supposed to be doing, which was angel and demon proofing the room. But she was exhausted, tired... not just physically, but emotionally too. Even if a demon or angel burst through the door that very moment, she probably wouldn't have been able to get up the energy to move. She closed her eyes, pushing the thoughts away as she tried to sleep.

It was not long after she had drifted off when the lights of the room began to flicker. A handsome young man with shaggy dark hair framing his face stepped toward the bed where Ella laid and brushed his hand against her face lightly. He was clothed in a white button down shirt that was tucked into the waistband a pair of dark trousers and covered by a snug dark vest. His hand moved from her face and dipped into the vest's pocket, removing a syringe filled with a thick, dark liquid. After flicking it and squirting a little of the fluid from the needle, the young man pressed it into her neck. His thumb forced the plunger down and the liquid disappeared into her vein. When he was finished, he rose, watching a little blood dribble from the injection site. "Sleep well, my darling." He murmured with a smirk before vanishing.

When Ella woke up, she felt different. She felt well rested... she couldn't remember the last time she felt this well rested. The empty, hungry feeling in her stomach was gone... She felt... full. No headaches, nothing. For the first time in months, she actually felt really good.

...Something was very wrong.

_xx_

Sam sighed as he rubbed his eyes. They had been in the library for hours and the words on the computer screen were starting to swim. So far, he had not been very successful. The woman had a few minor things on her record. Normal stuff like a few speeding tickets. He was just about to close everything and give up when he saw something. His eyes widened and he rolled his chair away from the computer to where Dean had dozed off against a keyboard. He popped him on the back of the head. "Dean! Seriously? Come on, I found something!"

Dean jumped awake and rubbed his eyes. "Gee, Sam, why so violent..." He muttered and yawned. He rolled his chair over to Sam's computer. "What'd you find on her?"

"Not her," Sam said rolling back to his computer and tapping a few keys. "Her daughter, Katherine. She is linked to every single one of the victims. I don't know why we didn't see it before. She was friends with Renee, but then they had a fight... the list goes on... "

"Huh. You don't say," Dean said, looking at the screen. "I guess Cas was right after all. I mean, he gave us the right address, just not the right name." He stood up from the chair. "Well that's enough proof for me. Let's go have a little chat with Katherine."

It only took a few moments for Sam and Dean to climb back into the Impala and drive back to the hotel to get Ella. Once they had all piled into the car and Sam had filled Ella in on what was going on, they made their way back to the house. Just as they were getting out of the car, there was a high pitched scream. Sam froze then closed the Impala's door and pulled out his gun, jogging up toward the door of the house. He knocked quickly. "Ma'am? Hello? Is everything alright in there?" When there was no answer, he glanced down, his eyes growing a little wide as he saw blood seeping beneath the door onto the front steps. Taking a step back, he lifted his foot and kicked open the door. "Ma'am?"

Dean followed Sam and Ella inside, raising his pistol as they looked around cautiously. Ella turned the corner in the entry way and nearly tripped over something. She looked down to see that it was the body of Lori Jones. Her throat was slit deeply and blood was pooling around her in the floor that she was standing on. Ella gasped quietly, backing away from the body.

Sam stepped forward, careful to cross over the body of the woman sprawled on the floor. He saw something move toward the hall and lifted his gun, aiming it at the young woman who was trying to slip away. "Hold it right there."

A blonde teenage girl with a slightly annoyed expression on her face, stepped out into view with her hands up in the air. "What, you're going to shoot me? Gotta say, it doesn't really seem like something you'd do... Sam Winchester," She chuckled nervously.

Sam and Dean exchanged glanced and Dean stepped forward, still holding his gun up. "Oh yeah? Well he may not be able to do it, but I have absolutely no problem in killing you right where you stand, so I'd suggest you stay right where you are."

Katherine's sarcastic grin slowly faded.

"Who are you... or should I say what are you?" Ella asked, standing next to Sam. "And how do you know Sam's name? Are you a demon?"

"I do love your crazy little imagination, Ella, I do, but no. I'm human, just like you."

"I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that..." Ella said quietly.

"How do you know our names? Answer the question." Dean said, stepping forward a couple feet, the pistol pointed at the girl's forehead.

"I know things," She replied with a shrug.

"We get that, but _how _do you know things?" Sam said, lowering his gun slightly as he looked around the home. He narrowed his eyes, seeing the small altar set up in the living room and the goblet of blood. "So you killed your mother for some kind of ritual? What were you doing?" He said, pushing his gun back into the waistband of his pants. Dean kept his gun raised, watching Katherine as she spoke.

"Demons talk... and they don't exactly say the nicest things about you hunters..." She said, glaring over at Dean. "And wow, you don't miss a thing, now do you, Sam? Yes. I needed blood to summon the demon who collects the souls from me. Lori here was just convenient," She said matter-of-factly.

"You killed your own mother?" Sam repeated, narrowing his eyes. He stood up from where he had been crouching by the altar. "Let her finish it." He said, looking between Dean and Ella. "Let her bring the demon here." All three hunters exchanged glances, each of them thinking the same thing.


	25. The Woman Is A Devil

When Katherine had finished the incantation, at first nothing happened. Dean stood behind her, still holding the pistol and watching to make sure she didn't try anything funny.

"Are you sure you did it right?" Ella asked, glancing around the room.

Katherine glared at her and was about to say something, when suddenly the room started to shake, the lights flickering on and off.

The back door flew open violently and a woman stepped into the house. "It's about time, Katherine, the boss was getting a little testy," The demon said as she stepped into the room. She glanced at Sam, to Dean, and then to Ella. "Why didn't you tell me we had company, Kate, I would have wore something a little nicer," She said, gesturing at her vessel.

"So you're the one that's been taking the souls? What have you been doing with them?" Sam said with a frown. "Who exactly is your boss?"

"I've been sending the souls over to my boss. See, she's in a little pickle, so in return for the souls, she's letting little Kat here live, giving her just enough powers to get the souls. And I, well," She laughed. "My reward is that I get to happen upon hunters like you, and peel the burning flesh off your bones while the others watch and wait their turn." She walked towards him, smiling nonchalantly.

Sam smiled a little as he watched her step closer toward him. He nodded, "Sounds very cliché to me. Can't you guys come up with better material than the whole, peeling flesh off your bones thing?" He shook his head. "The only thing you're going to do is call your boss over here so we can have a little chat."

"Oh is that right? Now why would I do that?" She smirked.

Sam walked over nonchalantly and lifted the edge of the rug with the toe of his boot, exposing one edge of a devil's trap. He let the rug fall back into place and arched a brow. "You were saying?"

The demon stared at the rug for a moment before slowly raising her head and smirked at him. "Very clever. But you didn't really think I'd come alone did you?"

"Let her go, unless you'd like me to tear your lovely wife's heart from her chest." A young man stood behind of Ella, one of his arms tightly wrapped around her stomach and the other hand clutching her throat. Sam's eyes widened.

"Ella!"

The female demon smirked as Dean and Sam exchanged worried glances. Ella struggled in the other demon's grasp, though for some reason, she felt stronger... she felt powerful. She didn't know what it was, but at that moment, somewhere inside her a feeling of protectiveness and intuition came through her, and she reached a hand towards the demon's forehead, pressing down hard as she squeezed her eyes shut. As soon as her hand touched the demon's forehead, his eyes widened and light began to shoot from them. His mouth opened in a horrified scream as the pale light poured from his lips as well. His grip on her loosened and he sank to his knees before falling backwards. Smoke was pouring from the gaping holes that had been his eyes. Sam's mouth was hanging open slightly as he looked from Ella down to the demon then back to his wife. "Ella...? How... did you do that?"

"I... I have no idea..." She said quietly.

"So it's true..." The other demon muttered, now looking a little worried.

Sam stared at her a moment in confusion before looking back to the other demon. He didn't know what was going on, but might as well use it to their advantage. "So... you reconsidering bringing your boss here? Unless you want to end up like him." He said, nodding toward the demon's carcass.

The demon stared at Ella for a few moments before glaring over at Sam. "No. Trust me, you don't want to meet her. She shows up here, she'll tear you all to pieces. So why don't you let me go before someone gets hurt? You'll leave town, I'll leave town, and we'll just chalk this up to a bad day. How does that sound?"

"Sorry, no sale." Sam said as he plucked the demon killing knife and threw it, hitting the demon in the center of their chest. As the demon collapsed, he stepped forward and pulled the body from the devil's trap, dumping it by the other demon's form before pulling free the knife. "Let's see if your boss'll will come looking for you when you don't show up with her souls."

_xx_

"Katherine!" The familiar voice shouted through the home as a slender figure strode across the room. They were clothed in a snugly fitting black dress that reached down just over their knees and heeled black boots. Thick red hair had been pulled back into a loose ponytail. "What is going on? I told you I need those-" She stopped abruptly as she saw the Winchesters standing over the dead bodies and training guns on Katherine.

The three of them jerked their heads in the direction of the voice. Dean and Ella's eyes widened as they looked at the woman. "Oshea?"

"What are you doing here?" Dean asked, his brows furrowing as he lowered his weapon. Ella stood off to the side, watching her quietly.

Oshea swallowed hard and chewed on her lower lip. "I..."

Sam frowned, his eyes narrowly slightly before he looked to his brother then back to Oshea. "It's you... isn't it? You're the demon's boss... you're the one who's been collecting the souls. You're the one who caused all of those people to die."

When Oshea didn't answer, Dean walked towards her slowly. "You did this?"

Oshea shook her head and stepped forward onto the rug. "Dean... I can explain.. "

"Explain? You're gonna explain how you hired a some piss poor demon and Sabrina here to do your dirty work?" Dean raised his eyebrows.

"I needed the souls, Dean... if I don't get them, I'm going to be like this forever," She said quietly, lowering her eyes. "The economy's been bad... not many people have been coming to make deals... I didn't know what else to do."

"Taking souls from willing, desperate people is one thing, but to go around ripping them from innocent people..." Dean's voice trailed off as he shook his head.

Oshea scoffed. "No one is innocent. What else was I supposed to do, Dean? I don't want to be like this forever!"

Dean shook his head and laughed. "Why not? You seem to be getting pretty good at it."

Oshea narrowed her eyes as they briefly flashed red. "You act like you're so high and mighty. But all of us," She gestured outward with both arms before letting them drop to her sides. "All of us -demons- know what you did when you were in Hell." Oshea chuckled bitterly. "You became Alastair's little protégé. Didn't you, Dean?"

Dean stared at her for a moment, clenching his jaw. "You done? Cause I'd like to get back to the whole 'you killing innocent people' thing."

"And how is that different from torturing 'poor, innocent souls' in Hell, Dean?" Oshea snapped back. "You joined Alastair because you had no other choice. It was either that or be tortured for who knew how long. I'm doing this because I have to. I want to be human again!"

Dean shook his head. "You mean back to sneaking around behind our backs, lying and drinking demon blood? That's your definition of human?"

Oshea narrowed her eyes and tried to step forward, her lips parting to speak. She stopped abruptly however and looked down at the rug. Closing her eyes, she cursed softly and brought a hand to her head. "No, Dean. I don't want that. I never did... I just wanted to be normal. It's not my fault that Yellow Eyes chose me..." She let her hand fall down to her side and looked over to Ella, her eyes narrowing. "I'm not the only one..."

"Quit with the excuses," Dean snapped. "Azazel may have chosen you, but you chose to lie and whore around with demons... you made that choice. So suck it up with the whole overplayed melodrama, 'this isn't my fault" crap."

Oshea shook her head, glaring at him. "Stop acting like you're better than me! You made a choice, too. You chose to torture and slice up people's souls... and break the first seal that started the apocalypse. You're no better than I am..."

Sam cleared his throat. "Dean... I don't want to interfere." He said quietly. "But... what are we going to?" He had his gun trained on Katherine. "Are you going to..." He let his voice trail off. Any other demon, they would have killed on the spot, but this was different.

"Here's what's going to happen..." Dean said, stepping forward and pulling something out of his pocket. He flicked open the pocket knife. "You're going to stop taking souls from people in this town. I don't care how many desperate souls you take at your crossroads... whatever you do, you do it yourself. And stay far, far away from me." He stared at Oshea, his expression stoic and completely serious.

The angered expression immediately drained off of Oshea's face. Her brows furrowed slightly. "Dean...," She whispered, wringing her hands a little. "What... what do you mean?"

"Oshea, I can't pretend anymore," Dean shook his head, staring at the ground a moment. "And it's not just the demon blood or the demon thing anymore... it's just you. You're not the hot Scottish chick I met back in South Carolina... well, you're still hot and you're still Scottish. But you're not you anymore."

Oshea's lips parted and she shook her head. "Dean...," She breathed, not believing what she was hearing. "I'm still the same person. I've made some mistakes... but... Dean... please."

"I'm sorry." Dean kept his eyes away from Oshea as he turned to Ella and tossed her the pocket knife. "Let her go." He looked at Sam. "Stay here with Katherine so she doesn't escape, she's still killed people." He said, walking out the space where the front door had been.

"Dean...," Oshea tried to step forward, but stopped. Tears gathered in her eyes and began to spill down her cheeks. "Dean!" Her voice was breaking.

A few minutes passed, and Dean was still gone. Ella sighed as she glanced to Sam, and stepped over to the edge of the rug and pulled it up. She kneeled down, and with the pocket knife, she scraped away at the paint on the floor, breaking the trap. She slowly rose from the floor, watching her sister.

Oshea immediately rushed from the trap and started toward the door, intending to go after Dean. Sam stepped in front of her and held the demon killing knife near her throat. "He asked you to stay away... you're lucky he let you go." Oshea took a slow step backwards then glanced to her sister before she vanished.


	26. Lost For Words

Sam, Dean, and Ella ditched the house right before the actual authorities showed up about a half an hour later. Dean had almost wanted to waste Katherine right then in there, the mood he was in, but in the end the all decided they'd just leave her in the hands of the police. She did kill her mother, after all, her fingerprints were on the knife she used.

When she knew Sam and Dean were asleep, she pulled the covers off of her, careful not to wake Sam. She was still wearing her clothes from earlier, so she pulled on Sam's jacket off the back of one of the chairs at the table, and pulled it on. She grabbed the motel key off the dressers and quietly slipped out the door.

Oshea was sitting in the midst of the crossroads her arms curled around the neck of a large hellhound. She stroked back its dark fur before standing to her feet and walking toward the person who had summoned her. "Make a deal or get out of here, I'm not in the mood for…" She stopped when she saw who it was and sighed. She ran a hand through her hair. "Why are you here…? You want to yell at me, too?" She whispered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What did you do to me?" Ella partly yelled, her voice echoing throughout the vacant area.

Oshea looked up at her. "I don't know what you're talking about Ella…"

"Don't play dumb with me," She said, her voice cracking. "You did something… you poisoned me. The blood… you did something!"

"I knew it," Oshea said quietly. "I knew that I sensed something different about you. So how do you feel? Better right? Powerful? And the world didn't end… you're still Ella. Told you it wasn't a big deal…"

"Not a big deal? _Not a big deal?"_ She threw her arms up and then let them drop to her side with a sigh. "I didn't _want_ the demon blood, Oshea, you had no right to do that to me."

"Like I said, I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't do anything to you." Oshea said, shaking her head. "Don't you believe me? I'm you're sister…"

She scoffed. "Really? You're gonna use the sister card? I hardly even _know y_ou anymore. The things you'll do to get what you want… you don't care what lines you cross. You just do it."

Oshea stared at her a moment then shook her head, brushing tears away from her eyes. "I'm glad everyone's telling me how they really feel about me." She said with a bitter smile. "Look. I didn't do anything to you. Yes, I drank demon blood and was a demon's bitch for a while. And yeah I stole some souls from some not so nice people in this town, but I don't lie. I've not done anything to you." She turned her back and started to walk away. Ella sighed and sniffled a bit before she walked in the opposite direction.


	27. Good God, Y'All!

RIVER PASS, COLORADO

Boston's "More Than A Feeling" blared loudly from the Impala's speakers as it sped down a deserted back road in Colorado. Dean was behind the wheel, Sam next to him in his usual spot in the passengers seat, and Ella was in the middle of the backseat, fumbling with the GPS on her phone.

"I think we're lost."

"We're _not_ lost," Dean said.

"Dean… you've been a little off ever since…uh… well," Sam said with a little frown, rubbing the back of his neck. "Since you broke up with Oshea…"

"That has nothing to do with us being lost- which, we're not, by the way," Dean said, glaring at his brother. He shook his head. "Sam, I'm fine. In fact, I'm awesome. I don't wanna talk about my feelings. I just wanna drive my car, listen to my music, and get to this next case. Cheyenne is only a couple of hours away, and I don't know about you, but I'm ready to hack some heads off some vamps."

"Dean, come on. I know you." Sam said, shaking his head. "You're not awesome, you need to talk about your feelings sometimes and… and you're about to drive off a bridge."

Dean glanced over to Sam. "What?" He followed Sam's stare to the road in front of them, which ended ahead abruptly. Dean's eyes widened and he stomped on the breaks, the car screeching until it came to a stop only a couple of feet before the edge of the bridge.

Sam steadied himself with a hand on the dash and the other on the door. When they had come to a complete stop, he looked back to Ella. "Ells, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm good," She said with a slow nod, her eyes still a little wide. She slid over in the seat and opened the car door, pulling herself out. Just now a little over seven months along in her pregnancy, even walking proved some difficulty. She waddled over to the edge, peering over, Sam and Dean following closely behind. "Whoa."

Sam lifted his hands and ran both over his shaggy hair. "Well… still don't think that we're lost, Dean?" He sighed. "What are we going to do now?"

"Turn around, take another road?" Dean said.

Ella shook her head. "I donno, you guys… Something is _off _here. Bridges don't just randomly give out… It's like someone's trying to keep us out of there."

"Or they're trying to keep something in," Dean said with an arched brow, glancing between the two of them.

"I guess we can hike in." Sam said as he walked around the back of the Impala. "Toss me the keys. I'll get our stuff."

Dean pulled the keys out of the ignition and tossed them to his brother. "What about penguin over there?" Dean said, nodding his head over to Ella. "A little over five hours ago she walked into a Walmart and knocked over an entire rack of sunglasses she was looking at, so the odds of her successfully walking up that hill is very, very low."

"I heard that!"

Dean rolled his eyes. "So?"

"Hey, she's _my _clumsy penguin, okay?" Sam said as he caught the keys and opened the trunk. "Look, you carry the stuff and I'll carry Ella." He pulled out the duffle bags and hooked their straps over his shoulder, walking toward his brother and wife.

Ella watched Sam with an arched brow as he approached her. "You're not seriously going to- agh! Little warning would be nice," She muttered as Sam started to carry her up the hill.


	28. Never Walk Away

"I'm never going to be able to stand straight again," Sam groaned as they walked through the quiet street. He pressed a hand against the small of his back and arched it, grimacing as it popped.

"Quit complaining," She rolled her eyes. "My back feels that way all the time, but you have the added bonus of not having a child inside of you playing patty cake with your bladder."

Sam reached up and gave her back a little rub before leaning over and kissing her temple. "Just two more months, Ella." He looked around at the town for the first time and frowned a bit. "Wow… is it just me or does this place seem… empty?"

"_When I die and they lay me to rest, gonna go to the place that's the best." _An upbeat song played from an unknown location, growing clearer and louder as they walked down the abandoned street, weapons in hand. Cars were left in the middle of the street, doors left open, some flipped over.

"_When I lay me down to die, goin' up to the spirit in the sky." _Ella peered into a window of a car that had been broken open. Blood stained the empty seats of the vehicle. She frowned a little as she turned to move on.

"_Goin' up to the spirit in the sky. That's where I'm gonna go when I die. When I die and they lay me to rest, gonna go to the place that's the be-" _The music suddenly stopped as Dean shut off one of the engines of a nearby car that the song had been coming from. Ella arched a brow at the abandoned red Mustang before she continued walking down the street.

Sam slowly drew his gun from the waistband of his jeans. He held it low with both hands as they moved down the empty street. It was eerie. There were no people in the homes, no stray dogs and cats trotting down the sidewalks. There was blood everywhere. It stained the siding of various houses, it stained mailboxes and the fenders of cars, it dripped from broken glass in windows, it was smeared across the streets, and it trickled down into gutters. Sam stepped toward one of the parked cars and was just leaning to look inside of it when the rearview mirror exploded with a bullet.

"Put down your weapons and turn around slowly."

Sam brushed a few pieces of glass from his cheek, smearing a little blood, and slowly turned around. A young man with short dark brown hair and almond shaped light blue eyes strode toward him, holding a sawed off shotgun. He was wearing black pants, a light blue wife beater beneath a snug black t-shirt under a dark brown leather jacket. A black and red striped toboggan pressed down over his head. Sam frowned, looking at the gun. "Uh… Dean…"

When Ella turned around, her eyes widened. "Boston…? Is that you?" She lowered her gun as she looked the man over.

Boston's eyes widened as he looked her over. "Ella? Ella Blackwood?" He chuckled and lowered his gun, walking toward her and pulling her into a hug. "It's great to see you! What are you doing over here in the States? And… wow!" He looked down at her stomach and shook his head. "Seems like we've got a lot of catching up to do."

Sam looked between Boston and Ella. "What is going on?"

Dean arched a brow, making a face. "Boston?"

Ella ignored him. "It's great to see you too!" Ella smiled at him for a moment. "Oh, sorry, Sam, this is an old friend of mine and Oshea's. We met him when he and his sister visited Scotland a few years back, not very long before we met you guys," She explained. "Boston, this is my husband, Sam, and his brother, Dean."

Boston looked up at Dean and arched a brow. "Mhm. Parents liked music." He looked to Sam and walked over to him, looking him over. "Really, Ella? You married this guy? He's like…Goliath… I guess he's the guy that put the bun in the oven there?" He said with a grin, gesturing toward her stomach. "Where's Oshea?"

Ella's smile faded and she looked away, not really sure how to explain the crossroads demon situation to him. After a moment of silence, Dean cleared his throat. "She's, uh… she's got other business to attend to."

"Right, well… we should get out of the street." He said, looking around the street toward the homes. "Come on, I know somewhere safe where we can talk. This way." He lifted his gun and rested the barrel against his shoulder as he started down the street.

They arrived at a small chapel on the other side of town. They followed Boston inside, stepping over the line of salt at the doorway. "So, what's going on in this town? Why's the only road in or out of town blocked off?"

"Demons. This places is infested with them." Boston said, glancing over his shoulder at them. Sam glanced down at the salt spread across the doorway and the devil's trap drawn just inside of it.

"How many?" He asked as Boston began to lead them down a flight of stairs.

"Pretty much the whole town, except for the dead people and our little support group down here." Boston said as he moved toward a set of doors. He knocked three times, "It's me, guys."

A small slot opened in the door and small flecks of water were flicked out onto Boston's face before the door was unlocked and pulled open. Boston rubbed the water off his face and stepped across another devil's trap into a small room with about ten other people. There were cots pushed up against the walls and a table in the center of the room with a few candles and a Bible laid out.

A short brunette stepped out into view from behind the other side of the door she had opened. Her hair was short and choppy, and she wore a worn leather jacket over a white and red tank top. At a glance, Dean thought the red was a design on the top, but as they stepped into the room and got closer to the young woman, he realized that it was splatters of blood on her shirt. "What took you so long?" She asked, looking at Boston. She quickly glanced over at Sam and Dean cautiously, still gripping the flask of holy water in her hand. When she saw Ella, her expression softened. "El? Holy crap, girl, it's been years! What are you doing here?" She said, giving Ella a brief hug.

Ella laughed. "Same thing you and Boston are doing here, I guess, just we came here by accident."

"Okay can someone please make some introductions here?" Sam said with a sigh.

Boston chuckled. "This is my younger sister Journey. Guys, this is Ella Blackwood… er… well, I guess its Ella…?"

"Winchester." Sam said a little gruffly.

"Winchester? Like the gun?"

"Yes."

"Winchester, right, okay. And this is Sam and Dean Winchester. They're all hunters. They're here to help."

"Whoa, wait wait wait," Dean cut in quickly.

"What?" Ella arched a brow.

"…_.Journey, _really? Am I being Punk'd?" Dean said. "I feel like I'm being Punk'd."

Ella rolled her eyes, "Anyway, yeah… we were actually on our way to Cheyenne and the bridge just stopped…. Figured we'd better check it out."

"Our parents were fans of classic rock." Boston said with a shrug. He looked to Ella and nodded. "We're glad you're here, we can use all the help we can get."

Ella nodded. "Of course. So how long has this been going on?"

"Seems like forever." He said with a sigh. He then cursed a little. "I was out getting supplies. We're running low on the basics… rock salt, we'll need more food… Ella, you want to come? You could fill me in on what you've been up to."

Ella looked at Sam. "You and Dean okay here? Somebody has to help Journey with the shotgun 101," She said, glancing around at the people sitting nervously at the tables, talking quietly amongst themselves.

Sam shook his head. "I don't think I like the idea of you going off-"

"Don't worry, sport, we won't be long." Boston said with a little smirk as he walked from the room. "Come on, Ellie."

Sam narrowed his eyes a little and stepped to Ella, rubbing her back gently. "Be careful, okay…?" He said quietly, leaning over to kiss her temple.

"I will," She smiled.

"You guys be careful!" Journey called after them.


	29. Ask The Lonely

"So, how have you and Journey been since I last saw you?" Ella asked as they walked from the chapel. The demon killing knife was tucked securely in a holster strapped onto one of her pockets.

"As well as can be expected under the circumstances." He said with a chuckle. "We've just been kicking butt and taking names. What about you, Ellie? I can't believe that you're married… and pregnant." He paused a moment. "You know I always thought it'd be me putting a ring on your finger…"

"You wish," She rolled her eyes, pushing him a little. "Hey, whatever happened to that one chick… what was her name… Claire? Or are you still breaking hearts?" She teased, arching a brow.

"It didn't work out," He said with a little shrug as he stepped off of the road onto the sidewalk and moved into a small convenient store. The shelves were becoming rather bare, but there were still a few unopened boxes and bags of cereals and other various food items. Boston grabbed a little plastic basket from the front and whistled a little tune as he moved through the aisles and started to grab some candy bars and bags of chips.

Ella glanced around her before she followed him in. She headed to the back of the store, to the very last aisle where the rocksalt was. She was about to pick up a can when she heard voices from outside the store. Boston looked toward the doorway and slowly sat his basket down, pulling out his shotgun and checking it before he quietly cocked the weapon. The door to the store opened and two young men stepped inside. One of the security mirrors hanging on the upper wall of the store reflected their black eyes as they looked around the building and stepped inside further.

Ella crouched down as far as she could, moving along the aisle until she reached the corner, glancing past it at the men. One of them had turned down another aisle, while the other walked toward the shelf she was hiding behind. She started backing up slowly, but bumped into the shelf against the wall, sending a few of the remaining boxes of Cap'n Crunch cereal falling to the ground. She cursed under her breath as the demon ran towards her.

Just before the demon reached her, it was thrown backwards into one of the shelves, spilling its contents onto the floor. One of the containers of salt spilled in a pile in the middle of the aisle. Boston rushed over to her, touching her arm. He chuckled some, cocking his weapon again. "You need to be more careful, Ellie." He said, his eyes flickering black as he smirked at her.

"No…" Ella gasped, stepping back a couple of feet, looking at Boston in disbelief.

Boston furrowed his brows and stepped toward her. "What is it, Ella?"

Before she could answer, the other demon started to approach her from behind. She quickly turned, pulling out the knife from its holster. With one swift movement she thrust it upwards, the blade piercing through the demon's throat. She pulled it out just as the second demon appeared, and she did the same to him. She around to face Boston, who's eyes were still black.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered, gripping onto the handle of the knife.

Boston's eyes grew wide and he lifted his hands. "Ella, what are you doing? It's me, Boston… come on, we're friends… right?"

"You're not Boston anymore," She mumbled before plunging the blade into his chest.

Boston gasped and looked down at the knife in his chest. Blood bubbled between his lips and he dropped his gun as he sank down to the floor.

She jerked the knife out, watching as he sank down on the tiled floor and finally became still. The blood on the knife suddenly caught her attention. She furrowed her brows, placing a hand on her stomach protectively, holding the knife with the other as she bit her lip, the familiar craving setting in. For a split second she knew she needed it, she remembered how good the blood had made her feel when she was unknowingly injected with it. All the words Oshea and the demons said rushed through her mind. She quickly pushed them away. No matter how deep the craving got, there was still a part of her that would keep her from going that far. That part of her was the difference between her and her sister. She inhaled deeply, the knife slipping from her shaking hands and clattering to the floor.

"Ella?" Sam was standing at the end of the aisle. He had left the chapel not long after Ella and Boston. He was worried and even if Ella got mad at him, he wanted to make sure that she was going to be okay. He had glanced into the windows of every little store until he had found the convenient store where he had found Ella and Boston. He had stepped into the store just in time to see her drive the demon killing knife into his chest. She had then done something that he didn't understand: staring at the knife, touching her stomach, and dropping the knife as if it were poison. "Ella, what happened? Are you hurt?"

Her eyes darted up at him suddenly. "No… I'm- I'm okay." She said after a moment, stepping around the bodies to where Sam was standing. Sam touched her cheek then looked down at the bodies.

"What happened with Boston?" He said quietly, nodding toward Boston's body. "I saw you…" His voice trailed off as he looked down at the knife that was still laying on the ground.

"He was possessed… Probably has been for a while now.." She said, going back to pick the knife up. She stuck it back in the holster and grabbed the basket Boston had dropped, piling a couple of cans of salt into it among the rest of the supplies. "We'd better get back to the church, before any more demons come."

Sam curved an arm around her waist and nodded. "I'm sorry, about Boston." He said quietly as they started down the road back toward the chapel. He frowned a little, glancing toward the sky above the line of buildings. "Smoke… something's burning."

"Think we should check it out?"

"Yeah…," Sam nodded then looked back to her. "I'll go check it out. You need to get back to the chapel where it's safe. I won't be long, okay? Go straight back to the chapel."

She nodded. "Okay, be careful."

_xx_

Sam walked between the buildings, holding his gun ready. He could not believe this was happening. He had never seen so many demons in one place before, it was unreal. Why this particular town? It seemed completely out of the way. It wasn't even on the map that he could recall. He left the town, stepping across a grovel road that wound around a residential area. As he walked, he couldn't help but thinking about Ella, wondering if she had made it back to the chapel without any trouble. Then again, she could take care of herself. Dean was right though. There was definitely something going on with her. She had seemed so much better before. She seemed healthy again almost overnight. And what had Oshea been talking about when she said that she hadn't been the only one? The only one what? Drinking demon blood? Lying? Sneaking around?

Sam shook his head. He was pulled away from his thoughts when he saw the two story farmhouse styled home nestled among a group of trees. There were multiple cars parked in the gravel drive out front and smoke was pouring from the chimney. He slowly hid himself behind one of the trees and peered around, looking up into the windows. Demons were looking out, pacing, keeping watch on all floors.

"Jackpot." Sam whispered as he pulled away and started back.

When he reached the chapel, he knocked on the door, endured getting holy water flicked in his face before stepping inside. It was then that a thought hit him. The holy water. Boston had been tested with holy water when he had led them to the safe house the first time. What was going on? How could he have been possessed since then without someone realizing it. He looked around the room, he had to talk to Ella and Dean. Something strange was going on. His brows furrowed as he discovered that Ella was not in the room.

"Dean… where is Ella?"


	30. The World On Fire

Ella groaned quietly as she slowly regained consciousness. When she opened her eyes, she was in a small room with no windows, and barely any furniture except for a table, where a couple of buckets were sitting on top of. She tried to move, but found that she was tied to a chair. She looked around her, furrowing her brows. The last thing she remembered was walking away from Sam, turning a street corner, and seeing a glimpse of a couple of demons before she was knocked out with something.

The door suddenly swung open and Journey appeared. A young blonde woman stepped through the door after her. Journey walked over the table, picking up one of the pails and stepping over to Ella.

"Journey, what are you doi-" Her question was cut off as Journey slung the contents onto her. Journey stepped back, arching a brow and exchanging glances with the other girl when nothing happened.

The blonde whispered something to Journey before turning and walking from the room.

"Journey, I'm not possessed! What are you…." Her voice trailed off as Journey's eyes switched to black and she leaned in closer to Ella, smirking.

"I'm gonna send you straight back to hell myself, you black eyed skank. Next time don't possess one of my friends."

"What?" Ella's brows furrowed. "Journey, listen to me, there's something weird going on! I'm not possessed, you've gotta listen to me!"

Journey ignored her, stepping over to the table to get the other bucket. Without warning she started forcing the salt from the pail into Ella's mouth.

After a moment, Journey stepped back, looking at Ella in confusion as the salt had no effect on her. She turned around, slinging the bucket aside before she quickly departed from the room, closing the door behind her.

_xx_

"What do you mean, where's Ella? She was with Boston, right?" Dean asked, his brows furrowing as she stood up from the chair he had been sitting at helping teach a middle aged man how to load a shotgun with rock salt.

"No, Boston… he was possessed, or at least that's what Ella thought. He's dead. I sent her back here while I went to check out…. We have to find her, Dean." He said quickly, shaking his head. "There's something really weird going on here."

Dean nodded. "Yeah. Wait, did you see Journey while you were out? She took off a little while ago to look for you guys since you were taking so long."

"No, but I did find this place where Ella might be." Sam said. "There's this farmhouse not far from here where a bunch of people are hiding out. Their eyes were black, but Dean… I don't know, I don't think we're dealing with demons here, Dean. Ella said that Boston had black eyes, that she thought he must have been possessed for a while, but, Dean, they tested him with holy water when we met and there's no way that he could have been possessed without Ella noticing. She was with him the entire time."

"You're right, that is weird," Dean said, arching a brow. "We'd better hurry. We can't leave these people here unprotected, so its looks they're coming with us."

"Dean, we can't take them with us… they're civilians. They barely know how to hold a gun much less aim and shoot. And what if these aren't demons? We can't have people just shooting everything they see…"

"It's better than them staying here alone. If it is demons, and if we're not here to make sure they stay put, they'll wander off and get themselves killed."

"Fine, we just have to hurry. We can't let… whatever this is get its hands on Ella and our baby," Sam said.

_xx_

Ella looked up as the door opened once more and an older man in a neat suit and tie stepped into the room. His short, almost balding hair was grey, and he pulled the glasses off of his face as he pulled a wooden chair up in front of the one Ella was tied to, and sat down, a smirk crossing his lips.

"Who are you?" She asked, squirming a little in the chair, but the ropes wouldn't budge.

"You mean you and your clever hunter friends haven't figured it out yet?" The man said with a surprised smile. "I'm shocked. Well, I'll give you a hint. I was in Germany… then in Germany…. Then in the Middle East."

Ella stared at him for a few moments, then he continued. "I was in Darfur when my beeper went off…? I'm waiting to hook up with my siblings. I've got three," He said, holding up three fingers on his right hand. He chuckled. "We're gonna have _so _much fun together."

Ella's brows furrowed, and then she stared at him for a moment. "I know who you are…"

The man laughed. "About time. Enlighten me."

"There aren't any demons in this town, are there?"

"Nope!" He shrugged. "Just frightened people ripping each other's throats out. I haven't even had to do much. I mean, take out a bridge here, throw in a little hallucination there… sit back, pop some corn, and watch the show."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Please," He scoffed. "Last week this was Mayberry. Now, people are stabbing people's children."

"Because you made them see demons!"

He shook his head. "Honestly, people don't need a reason to kill people. Have you seen the Irish? I mean… they're all Irish."

Ella rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"You think I'm a monster? I'm just Jell-O shots at a party, I remove inhibitions."

"I'm going to kill you myself," Ella said, clenching her fists.

"Oh that's adorable. Tell me, Ella, still thinking about it?"

"What?"

"The blood. You can't stop thinking about it, can you? Ever since you saw it dripping off that knife."

"You're wrong."

The man rolled his eyes. "Oh please, save your protests for your sister. I can see inside your head, and it is one-track city in there… blood. Blood. Blood. Lust. You wanna be strong, healthy again, you wanna protect your baby, and you know that is the only way. No matter how much you deny it, you know your sister is right, all the demons… They're just telling you the truth, even if it's not what you wanna hear."

Ella looked down, staring at the ground for a moment before she glanced back at him.

"You feel bad now? Just wait until you're thigh deep in warm corpses. 'Cause El? I am just getting started," He said. He smirked briefly before standing up and putting his glasses back on. "Show time for the meat suits! Watch this," He held his hand up and began twisting the ring that was on his finger. Blood slowly started to spill from the top of his head and drip down his forehead. He kicked over the chair suddenly and fell to the floor, clutching his head and screaming in fake agony. "Agh! Help!"

The door to the room burst open and Journey and the blonde girl stepped in.

"He did it!" The man cried out. "He said they're coming, they're gonna kill us all!"

"No! He's lying, Journey! You gotta believe me!"

"You shut your mouth," Journey said with a furious glare before swinging his fist at Ella's face and knocking her out.


	31. Tell All The People

"So, everyone clear on the plan?" Dean asked, raising his eyebrows at the room of newly armed citizens. They all looked very nervous and unsure, but they nodded in agreement. "Alright, so let's head out."

Before they even stood up from their seats, there was a loud knocking at the door. "Hey you guys! It's Roger, let me in!"

Sam stood up and walked over to the door, he looked out the small notch then slowly opened the door. "What were you doing out there?"

"I saw them!"

"Saw who?" Dean asked.

"The demons, they know we're trying to leave. They said they're gonna pick us off one by one. "

"You said there weren't any demons!" Some blonde chick in the room squeaked.

"There's _not,"_ Dean said. "Where did you go?" He said to 'Roger.'

"I thought someone should go out! If we sit here we're dead!"

"Listen, we just need to calm down. There is a really good chance that these are not demons. We can't just run out there shooting at everything we see." Sam said.

"They're gonna kill us if we don't kill them first!"

"Okay, hold on-" Dean said, but was interrupted by one of the other men in the room.

"No, we got people to protect! The able bodied go, let's hunt some demons."

Dean shook his head and raised his voice. "Whoa whoa whoa! Let's just slow our rolls, this isn't a demon thing."

But no one seemed to listen to him. Everyone scrambled to their feet.

The man called Roger smirked and winked at Dean before lifting his hand and turning his ring around. "Look! They're demons! Look at their eyes!"

The rest of the people in the room turned to look at Sam and Dean, who's eyes suddenly appeared black. Everyone in the room gasped and moved for their weapons. The one priest in the room grabbed a shotgun off the table, fumbling with it as he tried to aim it at the two brothers. Sam cursed and backed into the door. He jerked open the door just as one of the men fired a shotgun. The bullets peppered the door.

"Go, go, go!" Sam yelled, pulling Dean along with him as they rushed up the stairs. Sam was panting as they stepped outside and he glanced back at the chapel. "Okay… this can't be a demon thing. We're not possessed…. That guy, he's doing something, making people see demons, turning them against each other. There might not have been any demons at all… these people that they've killed… they probably weren't possessed at all."

"We need to find Ella… and quickly. If the people keeping her thinks she's a demon, too…" Dean's voice trailed off as he looked at Sam.

Sam paled slightly and he broke into run down the road in the direction of farmhouse. He slowed once they had reached it and crouched down behind one of the vehicles. "Dean, what are we going to do? Whoever's in there is going to think we're demons, they're going to look like demons."

"It's a risk we gotta take. Come on," He said, and they ran towards the building.

Sam nodded and followed after him, going up to the porch of the building. "Alright. I'll check upstairs, you check the first floor." He said as he started up the stairs.

Dean silently slipped in through the side door of the building, walking through the main part of the house. He suddenly felt the barrel of a gun against the middle of his back.

Dean froze for a moment, before quickly turning and jerking the gun away. His eyes widened. "Jo? Whoa, Déjà vu…"

Jo narrowed her eyes and reared back before punching him directly in the face. "Shut it, you black eyed SOB."

"Jo, listen to me! I'm not a demon!" Dean yelled. When she raised her fist to hit him again, he grabbed her arm and pinned her against the wall. "We're all seeing demons everywhere where there aren't any…. There's a guy here, I'm not sure who he is.. But he has some kind of power that makes us see demons."

"Sure, and pigs fly and unicorns are real. Why should I believe you?" She said, narrowing her eyes and grabbing a flask of holy water from her pocket and flinging it into his face. When nothing happened, she frowned, her brows furrowing.

"Because of that," Dean said with an arched brow.

"So… are there any demons here at all?" Jo asked. "You know you can let me go now, Dean." She said, arching a brow.

He rolled his eyes and stepped backwards. "No, no demons. He heard footsteps approaching them, and turned around to see Sam, Ella and Journey. "We all on the same page now?" He asked.

"Yeah… we're good," Journey nodded. "Ella says we're dealing with War."

"As in the Horsemen War?" Dean arched a brow. "Crap."

"I have an idea where we might be able to find him.." Ella said.

Jo arched a brow. "Who is this?… er… who are they." She said, gesturing toward Ella and her stomach.

"This is my wife Ella and our baby." Sam said with a smile as he slipped an arm around her waist.

"Wow, you're married? Congratulations." She said with a grin before she reached up and slapped him. "Why wasn't I invited to the wedding?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Priorities, people."

The man in the suit and glasses glanced back at the town and walked with a smirk to the cherry Mustang parked to the side of the road when he was suddenly grabbed from behind. Sam stepped forward, pulling the demon killing knife.

"You can't kill War, kiddos!" He said with a chuckle.

"Oh we know," Sam said lowly as he shoved down War's hand and sawed at his hand with the serrated edge until blood splashed on his face. The finger fell onto the ground and the ring clattered to the asphalt. Dean reached down to pick up the ring, and when he looked back around, the man's body was gone, as was the red Mustang that they had been standing next to only moments before.


	32. Christmas Time Again

CROWHEART, WYOMING

Sam yawned as he rubbed his eyes with two fingers. "Heat of the Moment" by Asia began to play through the Impala's speakers, and Sam glared down at the radio before roughly changing the station. He shivered a little and turned the heat up slightly. They had been driving almost nonstop from Colorado. Sam had taken over for Dean when they had stopped to refuel both the Impala and themselves at a gas station a few hours back. He had driven through the night and now the wee hours of the morning. He looked ahead again and narrowed his eyes as he thought he had seen something hit the windshield. His eyes widened as he realized what it was. "Snow…," He looked over to his brother, who was passed out in the passenger seat. Stretching out one of his hands, he gave his brother a little shake. "Hey, Dean…. Dean…"

Dean grumbled something before finally rubbing his eyes and opening them. "What?" He looked out the front windshield. "Huh. Snow."

"Maybe we should find a place to stop, Dean. I mean, we have been driving for a while. And we all could use a night in an actual bed instead of the car." He said, glancing away from the road and looking to Dean briefly.

"Yeah, guess you're right…" He glanced out of the passenger side window reading a sign up ahead.

_Twin Pines Lodge & Cabins._

Dean glanced back at Ella, who was slumped over slightly on the left side of the backseat, her head propped against the door. Sam looked up at the sign. "Hey, cabins. Maybe we could rent one for a few days." He said with a little smile. "It is Christmas after all. It could be fun. Take a breather, have an actual white Christmas… maybe cut down a tree for the living room. All that warm fuzzy, tradition stuff that we never had a chance to do."

"Sam, you're such a girl sometimes."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Whatever. We're stopping and that's that. I wanna do this for Ella, and besides, we all need this. A little break, you know? A lot's happened lately."

"Yeah, yeah… just wake me up when we get there," He said, leaning back in the seat and closing his eyes.

_xx_

The cabin was two stories with full length windows on one end and a wrap around porch. The roof was made of red shingles and the windows and doors were trimmed with white. The building was surrounded by tall evergreen trees. A thin layer of snow already coated the ground and was sprinkled over roof of the cabin. Sam stopped the Impala just outside of the house and shut it off. He pulled the keys out, turning to Dean. "Dean… Ella, wake up, we're here."

"Whasagoinon?" Ella mumbled. She yawned and pushed herself up straight, looking out the window up at the cabin. "When did it start snowing?"

"About an hour ago," Sam said. "We're staying here for a few days to celebrate Christmas. What do you think, Ella?"

"It's nice. But should we really be taking that much time off? We just met a Horsemen, Sam… that means there's a good chance the other three are out there somewhere playing puppet master with the people of some town."

Sam sighed a little and ran a hand through his hair. "It's just a couple days, Ella. It's Christmas. I don't know… I just thought a little downtime might be good for all of us." He climbed out of the car and shut the door behind him, twirling the keys around his finger as he moved to the back of the car and pulled out their bags.

They stepped onto the deck of the cabin, and waited as Sam pulled out the key he had gotten from the cabin rental place down the road. After he unlocked the door, Ella stepped inside after him, flipping on the light switch. Sam stepped just inside, setting their bags down. "Look, there's a fireplace." He said, stepping into the living room and moving to a large fireplace with wood piled beside of it in a metal basket.

The living room was pretty spacious: aside from the fireplace there was a couch that turned into a fold out bed, two arm chairs, and an entertainment center, the doors of which were open and revealing a decent sized television set. A large rug was spread out in the middle of the wooden floor. There was an open doorway that led into a quaint kitchen, another door that led to the bathroom, and next to the fireplace was a set of stairs that led up to the master bedroom.

"Whoa. I take that back. This place is awesome," Ella said.

"See? I told you." Sam said, looking over his shoulder and giving her a little smile. He put a few logs into the fireplace and started a small fire. "What'd you say we get a little shut-eye then we can head out for some supplies?"

"Sounds great to me," Dean said, plopping down onto the couch and laying down, falling asleep almost immediately.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower, then I'll come to bed," Ella said, walking over to Sam and standing on her tip-toes as she gave him a quick kiss. Sam smiled and returned the kiss, curling his arms around her briefly before releasing her to let her go shower. He ran his fingers through his hair and started up the stairs to the bedroom.

When she finished, she emerged from the bathroom, wearing a pair of dark blue sweatpants and a t-shirt that clung to her stomach. Her feet were bare as she walked quickly across the cold wooden floorboards and hopped onto her side of the bed, immediately pulling the covers up over her. Sam crawled into bed beside of her, wearing a wife beater and a pair of lounging pants. He curled his arm around her from behind and laid his hand against her stomach, stroking it a little before he kissed her hair. "I love you…"

"Love you too," Ella mumbled quietly before quickly falling asleep.


	33. Do You Hear What I Hear?

Sam awoke later that afternoon and kissed Ella's cheek before climbing out of the bed. He padded into the bathroom and took a long hot shower. After he was finished, he dried his hair and pulled on some clothes and walked back to the bed, giving Ella a little shake. "Ells, I'm about to head into town to get some food and decorations and stuff. You want to come with me?"

"Sure," She said with a sleepy smile. "Let me wake up and then I'll go get dressed and we can go."

When Dean woke up, he was surprised to find the cabin was empty. He pulled off the post-it note that Sam had so nicely stuck directly to his face, and read it.

_Went to town with Ella to pick up some Christmas decorations. Be back in a little bit._

_And yes, Dean, I'll buy some pie._

_Sam._

_xx_

Sam as humming along with the Christmas music playing through the store's speakers as he and Ella moved through the aisles of the Dollar Tree. They already had a pair of baskets full of various decorations and cheap food, including a pie for Dean. Sam paused as he saw a crane machine at the front of the store. He grinned, "Hey, look, Ells. It's a penguin." He handed her the basket and dug into his pocket, pulling out a few quarters before popping one in. "So, I think we should start thinking about names for the little guy or girl." He said, moving the joystick slowly toward the medium sized stuffed penguin.

"Penguin? Oh, ha ha, very funny," Ella said, rolling her eyes as she stood to the side of the crane machine, distractedly shuffling through the contents of the basket.

He sighed when he didn't win and shook his head. "These things are rigged anyway." He said with a shrug. "What do you think about…Ragen? Or…Elizabeth? Emily…?" He took one of the baskets from her and started back into the main part of the store.

She followed after him, not really hearing what he was saying. Her thoughts were on other things… a lot _had_ happened lately. Dean leaving Oshea, which, Ella had to admit, she wasn't to surprised about. When your girlfriend dies and then comes back as a backstabbing crossroads demon, it kind of takes the enthusiasm out of the relationship. And then there was the cravings for demon blood that she had almost daily. If seven months ago someone would have said that _she_ would be the one having keep _herself _from drinking demon blood, she would have punched them in the face and called them crazy. Not to mention, just yesterday they had faced one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. She had almost forgotten about the possibility that they actually _did _escape back when the gates of Hell opened up, and now she was sure that the other three were out there somewhere. Pregnancy was hard enough without the added stress of demons and monsters and Horsemen. Without realizing it, she nearly walked into an aisle of assorted singing and dancing Santa toys due to her lack of paying attention.

Sam glanced over at her and took her upper arm to keep her from hitting the shelf. "Ella… what's going on?" He said quietly, looking her over. "You've been spacing out all day… have you heard anything that I've been saying?" He started to say something else but the light's began to flicker before going out. Sam looked up and furrowed his brows. "Crap.. What do you think? Angels or demons?"

"Sir?" A guy stepped up and touched Sam on the shoulder. Sam whirled around, grabbing one of the singing and dancing Santa's from the aisle, lifting it over his head. The man lifted his hands. "Whoa whoa whoa! Hey, man, cool it. I just wanted to say the power is out and the roads are closed so… you might be here a little while."

Sam slowly lowered the Santa and sat it back down on the shelf. "Oh… yeah. Okay… sorry.."

"Sam, you nearly attacked a Dollar Tree employee with a singing and dancing Santa…" Ella said with a giggle.

"Well can you blame me? The lights flickered!" He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. He sighed a bit and sat down in the middle of the aisle, putting the basket down on the floor beside of him.

Ella pulled over one of the decorative fold out camping chairs and sat down on it next to Sam, fearing if she sat down on the floor she wouldn't be able to get her pregnant self back up. "I really hope this store has a bathroom," She muttered.

Sam looked up at her with a little smile. "I'm sure they do, Ells." He said, rubbing her thigh gently. "Oh.. I better call Dean and let him know about this." He stood up and walked a little down the aisle, dialing his brother's cell.

Dean was sitting on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table as he sipped at a beer and flipped through the channels. _Soap opera… commercial… The Price Is Right… another commercial… Gilmore Girls… _

He turned off the television and flipped open his cell phone. "Yeah?"

"Hey, Dean. Me and Ella are snowed in at the Dollar Tree, looks like we might be stuck here for the night."

"For not only Ella's sake, but yours as well, you better hope they have a bathroom," Dean said with an amused chuckle. He took another sip of his beer.

"They do, I'm sure." Sam said with a little laugh. "So what are you going to do?" There was a knock at the cabin door.

"Just kick back with a cold one, and watch so- wait does this mean I don't get any pie?"

There was a click on the other line. Dean could hear footsteps moving down the front steps and across the snow. His brows furrowed as he stood up slowly from the couch. He sat the cell phone down and walked over to one of the duffle bags, pulling out his 9mm Glock pistol. He crept quietly to the front door, pausing a moment before slinging it open and looking around, the gun raised. All he could see was the snow falling heavily, around him and the breath coming out of his mouth. He arched a brow, started to turn to walk back inside.

"Dean?" The familiar voice was quiet and hesitant. When Dean turned back around, he saw a woman standing a few feet from the house, wearing jeans, a snug grey hoodie, and a pair of black Ugg boots. Her hair was pulled back into a short ponytail. Snow was clinging to the hoodie and her hair, and her breath was bursting from her lips in little bursts of fog.

His eyes widened as he saw Oshea standing before him.


	34. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Dean crossed his arms over his chest, arching a brow. "What are you doing here?"

Oshea lowered her eyes, "I just… came to see Ella. I was a little worried about her. I wanted to make sure she was okay. Will you just tell her… you know, never mind… I'll go." She said quietly, turning and starting to walk from the cabin.

"Wait."

Oshea stopped and turned around, looking up at him.

"You seem… there's something… different about you…" His brows furrowed as he stepped off the porch, his boots sinking partly into the soft snow that now fully blanketed the ground several inches.

"There… well… I'm human… again," She said quietly, toying with one of the drawstrings on her hoodie. "Crowley let me off…"

"How is that possible?" He said, continuing to walk until he was standing in front of her. "I thought you were his bitch until you got the souls he wanted."

She flinched slightly and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know really. I didn't get all that he wanted… he just… came up to me and said I was free to go. When I asked about him, he just said something like… what? I can be lenient sometimes can't I? I don't know."

"Well that's very vague and ominous.." Dean muttered.

"No kidding, huh?" She said, offering a weak smile. "But… for now, I'm just… everyday, normal mild mannered me…"

"You… you wanna come inside? You, uh, you look like you're freezing.." Dean said, glancing at her and then at the ground, clearing his throat.

Oshea nodded a little, "It would be nice to be able to feel my face again…"

Dean managed a little smile and led her into the cabin. An empty bottle of beer and the half empty that he had just been drinking still sat on the end table next to the couch. He walked into the kitchen as she wandered into the living room. Oshea looked around the cabin as she shed her hoodie and boots by the door. "Wow… this place is nice." She said softly, moving to the fireplace and sitting down on the rug in front of it. "You guys not digging the crappy hotel scene anymore?" She asked, looking over her shoulder toward the kitchen.

"Hey, this is all Sam's doing. He figured we needed a couple days off, and that we should have an 'actual white Christmas.' He and Ella were out getting decorations when they got snowed in at the store." A couple beeping noises were heard followed by the sound of the microwave humming.

"Poor Sam…," She said with a little chuckle. "Hope they have a bathroom there."

"Yeah, that's what I said." A few moments later the microwave beeped, and Dean stepped out from the kitchen holding a small "Life's a Beach" mug filled with hot chocolate, and handed it to Oshea. Oshea took the mug and smirked a little at the writing before taking a sip.

"Thanks…"

After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence, Oshea was staring down into her empty hot chocolate cup when she cleared her throat. "You wouldn't happen to have any alcohol would you?" She asked, looking up at him. Dean arched a brow and then smirked as he took the mug from her and disappeared yet again into the kitchen. Oshea smiled a little as she handed off the mug to him and watched him go into the kitchen. She could not believe this was happening, it was almost like a dream. She hadn't expected Dean to even speak to her, much less invite her in.

Dean stepped into the living room a few minutes later with a large pitcher of freshly made eggnog, and two clear shot glasses filled with the creamy yellowish liquid. He sat down on the floor next to Oshea, handing her one of the glasses. Oshea's expression brightened as he sat down beside of her and she took the shot glass. "I haven't had this stuff in years," She said quietly, looking down at the creamy liquid. She took a sip and stared into the fire. "I wonder what Ella and Sam are doing... locked up in that store.."

_xx_

"YOU." _Whack. _"SAID." _Whack_. "THERE WAS." _Whack_. "A BATHROOM." _Whack. Whack. _"IN HERE!" _Whack. _"I have to pee like a mother and there's not even a bathroom in this STUPID store!" Ella whacked Sam in the arm one last time with the now no longer singing and dancing, Santa.

A chuckle was heard from the front of the store, and Ella finally tossed the highly damaged toy aside and slumped back in the chair, pouting. Sam was frozen in a hunched position with his hands protectively shielding the back of his head. Every time the toy struck him, he flinched and it would sing pieces of _Deck the Halls _until she had beaten it against him so much it sang in a garbled, broken voice and then not at all. Sam was sure that one of the thing's eyes was lodged into the skin of his lower arm. When she had sat down, he straightened slightly and leaned over, looking around the edge of the aisle to see the employee from before laughing at him. He narrowed his eyes and turned his attention back to Ella warily.

"I'm sorry… I really thought they did. We can… we can go to the gas station across the street maybe?"

"Fine," Ella huffed, pushing herself back to her feet.

Sam hesitantly moved over to help her up then led her toward the door of the building. "Watch our things for us." He said to the employee as he and Ella stepped out into the snow, which was falling even heavier now.

"A pregnant lady walking in a blizzard to get to a gas station... this is how urban legends get started," She muttered, hugging her arms across her chest as the cold wind hit them full blast when they stepped outside.

"True, but normally the pregnant lady does not have a hunter husband with her," Sam said, glancing over to her with a little smile. The glare he got in return caused him to look away and jog a few steps ahead of her to pull the door open for her once they had reached the station. The building was dark with only a few loudly buzzing fluorescent lights hanging from the dirty ceiling and one skinny man smoking behind the counter. The place reeked of cigarette smoke and alcohol, and there were unidentifiable stains on the floor and some of the walls.

"I've seen enough horror movies to know that if I go in there, I'm going to get hacked to pieces by some crazy person!" She argued quietly.

"Not necessarily, normally it's the hot sluts that get hacked to pieces." Sam said back quietly. His eyes widened and he looked over to her. "Not that you're not hot! You are! Very hot."

Ella rolled her eyes and pushed past him.


	35. Mistress For Christmas

Ella emerged from the bathroom quickly, walking past Sam, who had been leaning against the wall next to the door waiting on her. She didn't stop walking until she was outside the gas station's doors. "And I thought demons and changelings and ghosts were scary... that place had a serious Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe going on," She said to Sam when he had followed her outside.

Sam quickly followed her out into the storm and frowned. "Did you use the bathroom though? Was it sanitary?"

"Yes, and ugh. I do not wanna talk about it," She said with a shiver. "Let's just get back in the store before we add me getting frozen to death to our list of problems."

Sam nodded and curled an arm around her shoulders as he led her back. Once they were inside, he brushed off the snow from her sweater gently. The employee that Sam had almost attacked skirted around the counter and walked over to them. "Where'd you both go?"

"My wife had to use the restroom, there wasn't one here so we went across the street to the gas station." Sam said, pointing through the door toward the scary building behind them.

The employee glanced to the station then looked back to them. "You know you should have said something. There's a perfectly good employee bathroom in the back of the store. I could have let you use that."

Ella, who had already walked back to the chair and sat down, stared at him as she slowly stood back up. "What?" She said arching a brow.

"There's a uh... employee bathroom." The man repeated. "Behind the register."

"So, what you're saying is that I walked across the road in a friggen blizzard, to a gas station straight out of a horror movie, and peed in a bathroom, the inside of which I would only be able to describe to someone in a therapists office with puppets, and then walked back here to find out that there's a bathroom here? Is that what you're saying?" She said, all in one breath.

The employee began to back away. "Uh... I guess so?"

Ella scowled as she reached for one of the other Santas off the shelf and started to move towards the man. Sam walked up behind her and reached over her head, taking the Santa out of her hand and setting it back down on the shelf. "Come on, Ella. Let's get you back to your chair. I don't want my near bursting wife to go to jail for assault with a Santa."

"But that guy's an idiot!" She hissed.

Sam sighed as he led her back to their little spot in the middle of the aisle. "Well... I hope Dean is having fun at least." He grumbled softly.

_xx_

Dean laughed as he poured Oshea another glass of eggnog, though, it had stopped being eggnog about an hour ago, and now it was mostly just rum. He had just told Oshea the story of Sam having to carry a very pregnant Ella up a hill into River Pass, Colorado. He hadn't had the chance to laugh at Sam about it then, but now, as he sat with Oshea, happily drunk, it was proving to be a very humorous topic. Oshea giggled as she listened to the story and imagined Same carrying Ella into River Pass. She downed another shot glass of the 'eggnog' and leaned her head against Dean's shoulder with a chuckle. "Oh, I wish I could have seen that." She said in between giggles, her voice a little slurred.

"He also called her his 'clumsy penguin,'" Dean said, then took a sip of his own drink, glancing down at Oshea.

She snorted and nearly spewed the sip of 'eggnog' she had just taken. Choking it down, she giggling and shook her head. "That's great. I'm going to have to use that one."

Dean smiled as he watched her laugh. It had been a long time since the two of them had actually gotten along. Too long. Jonah and demon blood thing had mostly been what screwed it all up. It had been all downhill since then. And even though he had broken up with her for obvious and completely rational reasons, being around her now seemed like such a relief. "I missed you," He said. He was surprised as the words he was thinking, he spoke aloud.

Oshea looked up at him and smiled gently. "I've missed you, too," she said quietly. "So much... it's nice... this." She said, scooting a little closer to him and resting her head against his shoulder. "Dean... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... for everything..."

"Let's not bring up the past right now," Dean said, curving an arm around her shoulder as they just sat there for a moment. He winked at her and smiled. She smiled back at him, feeling the best she had felt in a very long time. It felt right, his arm curled around her shoulders, them both together in front of the fireplace sipping egg-... rum. Her eyes were drawn to his lips and she nibbled her lower lip. Slowly, she tilted her head up and pressed her lips lightly against his. Dean immediately returned the kiss. As it deepened, he abruptly picked Oshea up in his arms and started up the stairs.

_xx_

Sam was leaning against the shelf, nibbling on some chips that he had grabbed from the snack section. The single working employee had let them get whatever food they wanted, probably hoping to make up for the bathroom fiasco. "Well, this is not how I expected to spend our first Christmas as husband and wife." Sam crunched quietly on the snack and glanced to Ella, who once again seemed to be in her own little world. Swallowing, Sam sat down the bag of chips. "Ella... what's going on? You've been acting really weird. And not pregnancy weird.. just... you've been spacing out a lot lately and back in Colorado when you were in the convenient store... you were looking at the demon killing knife and then you threw it down... I don't know.. something seems off... you know you can talk to me about anything right?"

Ella came out of her daze as Sam started talking. She sat there for a moment... toying with the idea of just giving him another lame excuse. But she knew Sam wouldn't fall for it. She had been keeping so much from him for so long, and she knew he deserved to know. "I haven't been completely honest with you… Every time you've asked me if I'm okay, I've lied. But that was only because I didn't want you to worry about me," She sighed. "A while back, I ran into this demon who told me that I needed demon blood, or else I would continue to feel this way. I guess it's something the baby got from you... some of the demon blood.. So I snuck off to see Oshea- Don't give me that look. I snuck off to talk to her because I didn't know who else to talk to. I should have told you right off the bat, but I freaked," She bit her bottom lip and then continued. "She told me the same thing, so I told her off and went back to the motel. I didn't want to believe that demon blood was the only solution... I was stupid to believe that I could just shrug it off and go back to pretending I was okay after learning this stuff. I woke up one morning feeling the best that I had in a long time. I mean, I felt invincible. And I still don't know what happened... someone must have shot me up with demon blood while I was sleeping, or something, because I wasn't hungry anymore... I wasn't tired. That was how I was able to kill the demon. The angel part or the demon part of the baby kicked in and I just knew what I had to do, and did it, and it worked. The blood was what this baby needed.. it still is what it needs. And I was ashamed to tell you, because I thought you would think different of me somehow. And the only reason I haven't given in to the demon blood is because of you. I don't want to turn into Oshea... I don't want to have the person I love leave me."

Sam's eyes widened. "Ella, you never have to keep anything from me. I wish you would have told me, we could have try to figure this out together, talked to Bobby and Cas and seen if there was anything we could do..." He sighed and shook his head, lifting a hand to touch her cheek. "You're nothing like your sister, Ella. She drank the demon blood for selfish reasons, to make herself more powerful... you would be doing it for the baby. If that's what the baby needs..." he let his voice trail off. "We need to talk to someone about this, Ella. Maybe there's something else you can do instead of drinking the blood... you don't have to be scared to talk to me, Ells... I'm your husband... I'm not just going to up and leave you when the going gets tough.."

Ella forced a little smile. "Thanks.."

Sam cupped a hand against her cheek and leaned forward, pressing his lips lightly against hers. "I'll be right back," He whispered, standing from the floor and stepping away from her down the aisle. When he moved toward the front of the store, he noticed the employee was staring at him with a strange expression. Realizing that he must have heard them, he shook his head. He moved over to the crane machine and sighed a little. He could not believe everything that Ella had just told him. He couldn't believe that his wife had kept something so important from him, that she'd lied to him. After several moments, he returned to Ella and knelt down in front of the chair where she sat. From behind his back, he pulled out the soft stuffed penguin from the crane machine and offered it to her. "No matter what, Ells... you're still my clumsy little penguin, and I love you.."

Ella arched a brow before taking the stuffed penguin. "Sam. You're such a dork sometimes." She laughed a little before kissing him.


	36. Abandoned Love

The sunlight spilled through the windows onto the bed where Oshea and Dean were laying. Oshea opened her eyes slowly and smiled. The first thing she had seen after waking up was Dean's face. She trailed her hand down his bare chest gently and for a moment just watched him sleep. It had been so long since she had awakened to Dean laying beside of her. She had missed it so much. The previous night had been a dream come true, but as Oshea thought more about it, she realized that was probably all it was.. .a dream. After everything she had done, she didn't deserve Dean's forgiveness. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips gently against his again and stroked back his short hair before climbing from the bed and pulling on her clothes. She paused and left her hoodie in his bag, taking one of his instead. She pulled it around her and zipped it up, quietly moving down the steps and out of the cabin into the snow. She glanced back once and blew a little kiss toward the upstairs window before breaking into a run and disappearing into the trees.

Dean stirred a little in his sleep before waking up. With his eyes still closed, he smiled and reached his hand over to the spot next to him in the bed, but found it empty. He opened his eyes, his brows furrowing as he looked around, Oshea nowhere to be seen. He pulled on his boxers as he got out of bed. He almost thought last night was a dream, that he had just gotten drunk by himself and blacked out and imagined the whole thing. But as he walked downstairs, he saw the empty glasses of eggnog, still sitting on the rug in front of the fireplace.

Back at the store, Ella was still asleep, curled up inside a sleeping bag in the middle of the aisle. The power had come back on sometime in the early hours of the morning, but Ella and Sam had dozed off a few hours before that.

Sam yawned as he was shaken awake by the one employee that had been with them the entire night. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. After paying for the decorations- Sam was determined to have Christmas at the cabin with his brother after everything that had happened with Oshea- after paying, Sam went over to Ella and gently shook her awake. "Come on, Ells. We need to get back to the cabin."

After they left, before driving to the motel, they picked up a little box of apple pie for Dean. While Ella was inside doing that, Sam gave Bobby a call, informing him on what Ella had told him the previous night. They decided they would wait to tell Dean until after Christmas. When they finally made it back to the cabin, Sam pulled out the shopping bags and unlocked the front door, standing just inside as he sat down the bags and shook a little snow off of his toboggan. "Dean? Dean, we're back!"

Dean was sitting on the couch, drinking a beer, the same thing he had been doing before Oshea had came the previous night. He had been doing perfectly fine since the breakup.. better, even. And then she came back and messed it all up. Smiled, laughed like they used to. She screwed up all the progress he thought he'd made. All he wanted to do was forget about her, and she made that impossible. Though he wasn't really paying attention, his eyes didn't stray from the TV as Ella and Sam stepped into the room.

Sam's brows furrowed and he stepped away from Ella, who was shedding her scarf and hat and walked over to his elder brother. "Dean... hey, man, what's wrong? Did something happen while we were gone?"

"Nah, I'm good," Dean said, shrugging as he took another sip of is beer. He decided it would be better off it no one knew Oshea had been back. He didn't want the pity, the worried glances, the 'are you okay?'s. He'd pretend he was fine, like always. "How was your Dollar Tree slumber party?" He asked with an arched brow.

"Well, both of us nearly pummeled one of the employees to death with a singing and dancing Santa, but other than that and the bathroom incident, it was pretty uneventful," Ella said, walking over and sitting on the couch.

Sam walked over to the bags and began to pull out the decorations and set them up. "We brought you an apple pie." He said with a smile, pulling it out and setting it down in Dean's lap. "It's all yours. That and I stopped at a gas station on the way back and got you a few of those 'Busty Asian Beauties' magazines."

"Thanks," Dean said quietly, eyeing the pie for a moment before quickly returning to his beer and watching his brother set up the Christmas decorations. "So, you almost beat up a Dollar Tree employee with a toy Santa... I want to hear this story," He said, turning to Ella with a smile. He didn't want to ruin Ella and Sam's first Christmas as a married couple, so he pushed aside thoughts of Oshea, and enjoyed the rest of the day with his brother and sister-in-law.


	37. Little Baby

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA

A month and a half had past since Sam, Dean, and Ella's Christmas in Wyoming, and not much had happened during that time. They worked a couple of simple cases, mostly while Ella sat around in the motel. She had gotten huge; her due date was only weeks away. Dean hadn't heard from Oshea since she disappeared the morning after their little drunken eggnog fiasco, so he figured she was gone for good this time.

All Right Now by Fire And Water played quietly over the stereo as they crossed over the state line. "So, tell me about this case again?" Dean asked, glancing over at Sam from the steering wheel.

Sam yawned a little. "Uh... well, there's been a sudden spike in cases of...," He yawned again. The couple had not been sleeping well now that the due date was drawing closer. The baby was becoming more active, kicking and moving around, and when Ella could not sleep, Sam couldn't sleep. He shook his head. "Sorry... um, there's been a few unexplained disappearances in this town…"

"Uh, guys?" Ella said quietly from the backseat.

Sam turned and looked back at her. "What's up, Ells? You okay?"

"Yeah, aside from the fact my water just broke."

Dean quickly stomped on the brakes. "What?"

"Yeah, either that or your car decided that I wanted to go swimming," Ella said.

"Whoa whoa! No, not in my car!" Dean said, looking back at her, his eyes wide. He looked over at Sam. "What the hell, I thought she wasn't due for another two weeks!"

Sam had gone a little pale. "I... I- she... she wasn't... isn't!... But I mean... babies can be premature it happens, Dean..." He swallowed hard. "Uh... we should probably keep driving... we need to find a hospital."

"You think?" Ella shouted as she arched a brow.

Dean glanced back at her again. "Why did it have to be in my car!" He complained and started driving again.

"Oh God, Dean... what if she starts to have the baby in here...?" Sam said, looking at his brother with wide eyes. "We didn't even take that Lamaze class, I have no idea what to do!"

"You think I know?" Dean argued back with wide eyes.

"Will you two stop acting like little girls and drive me to the damn hospital!" Ella yelled, causing the two of them to go quiet.


	38. Hey, Jude

Sam lurched out of the car before it had even completely stopped in the space in the dark parking deck outside of the hospital. He pulled open the backseat and reached in, helping Ella out of the car. "Easy... easy, Ells." He said offering her his hand.

Ella gripped onto his hand tightly, pulling herself up and out of the Impala. "This kid is ticking me off already," She muttered.

Sam grimaced a little as she held tightly onto his hand. He nodded. "It's okay... we'll get you inside and they'll pump you full of drugs and it'll be just fine." He said with a weak smile as he lead her toward the building. She squeezed his hand tightly, possibly breaking a couple bones in the process, as they walked into the emergency room's doors.

After a few moments, Sam and Dean were sitting in the hospital room with Ella while she waited for the doctor to come. Sam's hand was still locked in Ella's vise grip, and his fingers were tingling from

the lack of blood flow. "You doing okay, Ells?" He was sitting on the edge of the bed while Dean occupied a chair as far away as possible.

"I'm glad you asked, Sam. I'm about to have to push a human being out of my body, I'm just fan-freaking-tastic," Ella muttered sarcastically. "This is all your fault you know! You just had to knock me up! Couldn't keep it in your pants."

Dean gave a quiet laugh. She glared over at him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing.." He said quickly.

Sam tried to stutter a reply, but ended up just mumbling an apology for the thousandth time that day. There was a soft rustling of wings and suddenly Castiel was standing in the room. He took a step toward the bed. "Ella, how-"

"Don't ask!" Sam said quickly.

Castiel's brows furrowed. Ella arched a brow. "Glad you're here Cas. The doctors won't give me any drugs, so knock me up with some angel meds or something before I strangle someone."

Castiel shook his head slowly as he moved closer to her. "I'm afraid that I cannot do that. You have to be conscious... there's nothing I can do."

Ella stared at him blankly, the same stare that she had given the Dollar Tree employee back in Wyoming before she nearly beat him with the singing and dancing Santa. "Nothing at all?" When he shook his head, she narrowed her eyes and swung her fist at the angel's face. Gasping in pain as the punch did nothing but harm her own hand, she glared back up at him. "Then why are you here?"

Castiel blinked in confusion as she struck him, but did not seem phased. "Jude and I are here to protect you and the child. You are both in danger..."

"Of course, why am I not surprised.." She muttered, rolling her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak just as another contraction came around. "Aaghh!"

Sam grimaced, his eyes going a little wide as she squeezed his hand tighter. "It's okay, Ella... uh... just breathe. You know, like in the movies... he he hoooo."

"I just got off the phone with Bobby," Dean said, flipping closed the cell phone just as Ella gave Sam another glare though still not releasing the death grip she had on his hand. "He's on the next flight out here."

The door to the room opened, and an older doctor with graying hair stepped in, smiling brightly at them. "How is the mother to be doing?" He asked, as if her expression of complete and utter pain wasn't a big enough clue.

Castiel looked over at him and furrowed his brows. "She is in a great deal of pain."

Sam nodded, rubbing his hand. "Do you think you... could give her something?"

"I'm sorry, there's not much we can do now," The doctor replied with a shake of his head. "So, would everyone but the husband mind clearing out of here for a little while so I ca-"

Dean nearly jumped out of the chair he had been sitting in. "Come on, Cas," He pulled along the confused angel by the sleeve of his trench coat as they left the room.

"You know," Sam began, sitting on the edge of the bed as Ella squeezed his hand again, going through another contraction. "We still haven't decided on a name."

Ella sighed as the pain passed and loosened her grip on her husband's numb fingers. "I think we should name her after someone important… like Jude, or Joel. They've both done so much to protect me and the baby… Joel's even died for us… twice."

Sam nodded and reached over, grabbing the baby name book he had had Dean bring them from the nightstand. He flipped through a few pages. "I don't really see any female versions of Joel… but you know, this one author took two names of people that the main character liked and smushed them together into a name. We could do something like that… like Jud…el… or… Judoel…"

"Nice try, Stephanie Meyer," She said arching a brow. "I love you, Sam, but if you try to name our kid that, so help me, I will shoot you, and you know I'm an excellent shot." Her voice was flat and completely serious.

Sam cleared his throat and turned back to the book. "What about… Judith?"

"…I guess that's not too bad of a name."

"She could have Jude as a nickname or Judy…"

"_Judy?_ I'm not having my daughter share the name of some annoying television judge… we'll call her… Jude." She said, smiling slightly. Sam smiled back and tossed the book onto the nightstand.

"Jude… well Dean is certainly going to approve." He said with a little laugh. Another contraction took over, and Ella stiffened, tightening her fingers around Sam's hand so hard that he heard bones popping.


	39. Anybody Seen My Baby?

Several hours and a few broken finger bones later, Sam was holding onto a small girl in a fuzzy pink blanket. She had a head full of dark hair and bright green eyes. She was staring up at Sam and lifting a hand, brushing the tips of her fingers against his chin. Sam looked down at her and smiled, brushing the tip of his finger against her arm gently. The door opened and Bobby stepped inside. "How is the-"

"For the love of God, Bobby, don't wake her up!" Sam hissed as he stepped toward him. Bobby arched a brow then looked down at Sam's hand, which was wrapping in a cast.

"What happened to you?"

"This is my punishment for knocking up Ella."

Dean laughed. "Yeah, you wake her up you might as well be signing a death wish. I'm sure she's capable of more than a broken hand." He was sitting in the other arm chair across the room. Ella was laying on the hospital bed, fast asleep.

Bobby nodded a little and smiled slightly as he looked down at the little girl in Sam's arms. "So what's her name?" .

"They haven't decided yet." Dean said, shaking his head.

"You what?" Bobby asked, arching a brow.

"Well, we haven't exactly had time to think about it with all that's been going on." Sam said, shaking his head. "I mean I tossed around a few ideas, but Ella hasn't been very talkative lately with all the stuff that she was dealing with during the pregnancy. But now that the baby's here and everything's settled down, we talked about it and decided to name her Judith Joelle after Jude and Joel… since they've done so much to protect her and the baby."

A petite nurse stepped into the room. "She's adorable, you must be so proud," She said quietly, making sure not to wake Ella up as she stepped around the bed and walked over to Sam. "I need to take her for a few minutes so that we can run a couple of tests, make sure she's doing alright, and so she can get some sleep like her mommy," She said with a sweet smile.

"I'm very, very proud." Sam nodded a little and handed the baby over to her, smiling down at the little girl. As the nurse started to leave the room, Sam looked back at Dean and gave a tired sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't believe this... I'm a dad..."

"Congratulations, boy," Bobby said with a smile, patting Sam's shoulder.

Dean had thought he saw the nurse's eyes flicker black for a moment in the reflection of the window in the door as she walked out it, but he didn't want to worry his brother with what was just probably the lack of sleep kicking in. He rubbed his eyes and quickly stood from the chair. "I'm gonna go pay the vending machines a visit, you guys want anything?"

"No, I'm fine." Sam said with a shake of his head. "Wait," He began, looking around the room. "Bobby did you see Cas when you came in?"

Bobby shook his head. "No, hadn't seen hide or hair of angel boy. Why?"

"Castiel said Ella and the baby were in danger. I'd just like to talk to him about it, see if there is anything we need to be doing to keep them safe." Sam said.

Bobby shook his head. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's got things under control. He is an angel after all."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Still... I wonder where he is."

_xx_

"They're so small...," Castiel whispered as he quietly walked among the rows of babies in the hospital's nursery. Jude was standing with his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the wall. He smiled and nodded slowly.

"I never get tired of seeing new life come into the world," Jude said quietly. "It brings a bit of hope, like a light in the darkness."

Castiel walked to him. "She seemed so helpless."

"Don't let her appearance fool you, she's very powerful." Jude pushed himself up from the wall and stepped closer. "What she helped Ella to do, killing that demon before, that was only the beginning... she-"

Both angels stiffened and looked toward the door of the nursery. Jude narrowed his eyes. "Something's wrong."

Castiel's eyes widened. "Demons..." There was a rushing of wings as they vanished from the room and the pages on the clipboards at the ends of each baby's crib rustled. The two angels appeared at the end of a long hallway just as the lights began to flicker erratically before shattering and raining glass down upon them. They broke into a run.

"Angels, too...," Jude breathed.

"Saraquael." Castiel ran faster, finally pushing open the door at the end of the hallway. In the room stood four figures One was the demonic nurse who was smirking, her arms folded over her chest. A tall, handsome young man that Castiel immediately recognized as Saraquael was holding the newborn in his arms. Standing in front of him was Ezra, his expression blank, and Jael. Castiel frowned deeply.

"Jael... why are you here...?"

"You know why," She said, before she reached over and took the newborn from Saraquael and stepped back. "Goodbye, Castiel."

Castiel frowned, his expression becoming sorrowful as she took the baby and stepped away. "Jael… don't do this."

"She's chosen her side, Castiel," Saraquael whispered as he and Era stepped toward the other two angels. "It's time for you to do the same."

Castiel narrowed his eyes and flicked his wrists, producing a pair of angelic blades. "I choose to serve God." He said lowly before he lurched forward toward Saraquael. Sparks flew as Saraqueal blocked the blow with his own blade. The two slid backwards with the force of the attack, leaving Ezra and Jude standing before one another. Jude drew his own weapon and Ezra did the same, running forward and meeting each other in the middle.

Saraquael shoved Castiel back and swung his sword downward. Castiel brought both of his up and crossed them into an 'X.' He shoved Saraquael backwards a step and came at him with a violent thrust of both swords. Saraquael blocked one of the swords with his own blade and caught the other in his hand. The two collapsed back into one of the room's beds. Saraquael reared back and slammed his forehead into Castiel's sending the other angel staggering back. Saraquael lifted his foot and kicked Castiel in the chest. Castiel jerked backwards and slammed against the far wall, causing a few things to fall of the shelves.

Jude and Ezra were fighting in a blur. Sparks flew as their blades struck one another. Jude struck Ezra across the face, sending the younger looking angel staggering backwards. A thin stream of blood ran down his face from the gash the angelic sword had left. A little smoke issued from the wound, and Ezra snarled, lurched forward, swinging his sword toward Jude's chest.

Throughout the hospital lights began to flicker erratically. The machines shut on and off and heart monitors began to screech. Glass shattered and the floors were littered with tiny fragments. In the room, the shadows of the angels' wings could be seen against the walls when the lights would flicker on like bursts of lightning, and the angels' eyes began to glow as the fighting grew more heated.

Castiel shoved Saraqueal backwards and kicked him, sending Saraquael crashing into one of the machines in the corner of the room. He spun his swords in his hands and pressed their blades toward Saraquael's chest. The archangel dropped into a crouch and swung his leg around, knocking Castiel to the ground. He fell onto his back with a gasp and just barely rolled out of the way as Saraquael's heel came down toward his face. He pushed himself up and drove one of the angelic blades into Saraquael's shin. The archangel growled and staggered as shockwaves tore through his form. Straightening as much as he could, he pushed his blade through Castiel's shoulder and shoved him against the wall, driving the blade through him until it pinned him in the wall. Backing away slightly, Saraquael yanked the sword from his leg and tossed it to the side. It clattered to the floor and rolled beneath one of the broken and sparking machines.

Ezra grabbed a hold of the collar of Jude's turtle necked sweater and pulled him down. Lifting his leg, he drove his knee into the other's face, sending Jude down to his knees. Ezra cupped a hand at the back of Jude's head and tangled his fingers with the other angel's grey hair, jerking his head back. He began to drive his fist repeatedly into the angel's face, breaking bones and splitting his lip. Jude was quiet as his blood spurted from his nostrils and lips, trickling down his face. A gash had opened up over his brow and his face was smeared a sinful red when Ezra finally released his hair. Jude knelt before him, breathing hard, his hands hanging limply in his lap. Ezra lifted his foot and drove his heel into Jude's nose, sending the elder male sprawling to the floor. Ezra then walked to him and grabbed him by his hair, picking him up and forcing him back onto his knees. Jude was partially doubled over, spitting out a few teeth onto the floor in bloodied clumps. He lifted his head slowly and Ezra grabbed his hair, jerking his head back. Bending his arm back and swiveling a little on his hips, he reared back and drove the end of the sword through Jude's throat.

Castiel's eyes widened as Jude gurgled a little blood and swayed. Ezra released him and violently yanked out the sword before driving it through the elder man's chest, deep into his heart. Jude's body shuddered as blood splattered against the wall behind him. A pale shockwave tore through the room and the hospital, immediately shattering all of the lights and throwing it into darkness for a few moments before the emergency generators kicked in. As the lights flickered back on, Jude's body was laying on the floor, blood pooling beneath him and two black wings were spread out at his sides.

Castiel lifted a hand and curled his fingers around the blade, shuddering as electric-like currents surged through his body. Before he could pull it free, Saraquael grabbed his throat and clenching his hand. "Did you really think that you both could stop us? The Prophet wrote that this would happen. 'As it is written, so it shall be.' He chuckled and pressed his free hand against the blunt end of the sword, driving it into Castiel's shoulder deeper. The angel closed his eyes tightly against the pain and gritted his teeth. The archangel curled his fingers into a fist and drove it into Castiel's face repeatedly.

Ezra straightened, pulling his sword free of Jude's chest. With the side of his hand, he brushed away the blood from his lips and spat a stream of it onto Jude's face. "We need to hurry." He reminded Saraquael before walking to Jael and stroking back the baby's soft hair.

Saraquael lowered his fist that was covered in Castiel's blood and shook it, sending droplets of blood to the floor. "I'm afraid it's time for me to go, Castiel. A pity… you would have been a wonderful addition to our ranks. I would have been proud to fight alongside you." He cupped a hand against the side of Castiel's bloodied face and narrowed his eyes. "But I'm afraid I just cannot leave you alive."

Castiel's eyes grew wide as a blinding light began to pour out of his eyes and mouth. His body convulsed until it vanished in a brilliant flash of light. The shockwave that resulted caused even the generators to briefly fail before humming back to life and causing the lights to come back on in the room. All that was left where Castiel had been was the bloodied sword and a pair of black wings branded into the wall. Saraquael stepped away and walked to Ezra and Jael and there was a soft fluttering of wings as they disappeared.

_xx_

Ella slept peacefully in her hospital bed, not waking once during any of it. Dean had not seen the fight happen, but he was in the hallway just as all the lights shut out and then came back on. When he reached where it had all gone down, his eyes widened at Jude's motionless body and the faded shadows of wings on the tiled floor. A crowd had started to gather because of all the commotion, and Dean quickly slipped out of view, heading back to Ella's hospital room where Bobby and Sam were.

Sam looked up quickly as Dean entered the room again. "Dean, what's going on? The lights have been going crazy. Where's Castiel? He said he was going to touch bases with Jude about the baby but he's been gone a really long time…"

"Well I donno about Cas... but Jude's dead. From the looks of it, by another angel..."

Sam's eyes grew wide. "Jude is dead? What.. what about baby?" He didn't wait for an answer. He moved passed his brother, breaking into a run as he went down the hall toward the nursery. Dean ran after Sam until they reached the nursery.

Sam was standing in front of the nursery window when Dean arrived, his shoulders slumped. His expression was blank as he stared at the empty crib where his baby should have been. He didn't speak or look away as his elder brother reached him. He felt like his heart had stopped. Dean stared at the empty crib before glancing at his brother for a moment. "Don't worry, Sam... we'll find her.." He said, and then was quiet. He didn't know what else to say. All he knew was they had to find Cas, and they had to find the baby.


	40. Alone

SOIUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA

TWO MONTHS LATER…

_Ella awoke to the quiet static of the small baby monitor that sat upright on the nightstand next to the bed. She stared at it a moment before she yawned and pulled herself out of bed. The cold, old floorboards of Bobby's house creaked underneath her bare feet as she stepped out of the room and down the staircase. She was wearing one of Sam's shirts and dark red and green plaid pajama pants. A small smile spread across her lips as she stepped into the living room, noticing her husband asleep, leaned back in the recliner with the newborn baby girl cradled protectively in his arms. Unlike Sam, however, the child was awake, and stared up at Ella with large green eyes as she came into view. "Hey, Jude." She said quietly, careful not to wake Sam up as she picked up her little girl. She rolled her eyes at Sam, still smiling as she threw a blanket over him and powered off the television that he had left on, and then walked back upstairs to the bedroom with Judith._

_She flipped on the light switch for a brief moment so that she could walk over to the nightstand and turn the lamp on. A nice looking crib was set up in the other side of the room. She walked over to it, giving her daughter a quick kiss on her forehead before placing her gently into the crib. She smiled for a moment before turning around, but she stopped immediately as she heard a child's cry. She turned around quickly, her heart beating rapidly against her chest. She looked into the crib only to find it empty._

_xx_

Her eyes blinked slowly until they opened, and she stared up at the ceiling. She was really awake this time. She sighed.

She had been having the same dream, or dreams similar to that, for two months now. Ever since the very moment that she had woken up to have Sam tell her that their child had been kidnapped.

They still didn't know who, or what did it... but they were pretty sure it was either angels or demons, neither of which were very comforting ideas at the moment. They still hadn't heard from Castiel, or from anyone else for that matter. And even though some time had passed, waking up didn't get any easier. Before all of this had happened, Ella never pictured her the motherly type. She never really liked kids in general, and the idea of having one she was totally and completely responsible for the well being of... it scared the hell out of her. But to know she had a child out there that she didn't know where it was or if it was even okay... now that scared her even more.

Sam walked into the room and sat down on the side of the bed, stroking back Ella's hair gently. "Hey... good morning. Do you want any breakfast? Bobby was going to fix something... anything you want." For the past two months, Sam and Ella had been staying at Bobby's while Dean continued to work on cases. Sam just didn't have the heart to hunt after losing his child. He found himself just wanting to spend time with Ella, away from all of the evil that was out there. There were still no leads as to where the baby as or even who had taken her. And there had been no word from Castiel either, which only worried him more.

She shook her head. "I'm not really hungry. But tell him thanks anyway," She said, forcing a little smile. "I'm gonna go take a shower, I'm not feeling too hot," She kissed his cheek before quickly departing from the room.

"Hey, Bobby open up!"

Bobby stepped from the kitchen and walked over to the door, pulling it open. "Good to see you, boy." He said, stepping forward and giving Dean a quick hug before pulling away and moving back into the house. "I was just fixing breakfast. Do you want anything? Those two," He gestured toward the ceiling with his spatula, indicating Sam and Ella. "Hardly ever eat so I know they won't take anything."

Dean nodded. "Anything's fine. You know I'm not picky when it comes to food"

He had a couple of healing cuts on his face from the case he had just been on. Two months before, he had told Sam and Ella that he wanted to leave them there with Bobby while he worked a few cases, so that they could have some alone time... But that wasn't the entire reason he left them there. He had spent the past two months working cases back to back to keep himself busy With what happened with Oshea, and then the baby being kidnapped and Cas going M.I.A., he just wanted to keep himself distracted. Hacking vampires to pieces and torching wendigos; seemed the perfect way to get that done.

"Good. Glad to know that someone's going to be eating my food. Idjits," Bobby murmured halfheartedly. He felt terrible about what had happened to Sam and Ella, and it was hard for him not to be able to do anything to help them. Since neither were in very talkative moods, he spent his time researching, trying to find anything that might have taken their baby without much luck. Sam walked down the stairs and looked a little relieved as he saw his brother.

"Dean..."

"Hey, Sammy, how you doing?" He asked, leaning against the doorframe that separated the kitchen from the living room. He hadn't seen Sam or Ella since he dropped them off there, though he had called them a couple times a week to check in.

"It's really good to see you," He said quietly. He knew Dean didn't like lovey-touchy brother moments, so he did not go on to say how much he had missed his brother. He had wanted to talk to him, but Dean hadn't been around, and talking on the phone just wasn't the same. "I-" He paused as Dean's phone began to ring and sighed a little. "You should probably get that..."

Dean arched a brow before pulling the cell phone out of his coat pocket and flipping it open. "Hello?"

"Dean...?" The familiar voice said into the phone. "It's me, Castiel..."

"Cas?" Dean said loudly, glancing over at Sam. "You've been gone for two months, Cas, where the hell have you been?"

Sam's eyes widened and he walked over to Dean quickly. "Castiel?" He whispered in shock.

Castiel took in a slow breath, looking around the pale yellow and white hospital room. He was resting in the bed, the white sheets tugged up to his chest. The head of the bed was propped up slightly and he had a few pillows comfortably supporting his neck and head. "I'm in a hospital," He murmured, brushing the tips of his fingers against the bandages that covered the small cuts on his face. A much larger bandage was wrapped around the shoulder that had been stabbed. "I just.. woke up here..."

"We all thought you were dead, are you okay?"

"No."

Dean paused a moment. "You wanna elaborate?"

"The doctor's were fairly surprised. They thought I was brain dead. Apparently, after the fight at the hospital. I suddenly appeared… ah…," he groaned a little. "Bloodied and unconscious on a shrimping boat off Delacroix. I'm told it upset the sailors."

"Fight?" Dean shook his head, "Okay, you're gonna have to clear a couple of things up for us, Cas... starting with, what the hell happened? The lights were going haywire, Jude's dead, and oh yeah, the baby was taken. Who were you guys fighting?"

"Saraquael, Ezra, and Jael came to the hospital. Jude and I tried to talk to them, but they wouldn't listen to us. They kidnapped the child. Ezra killed Jude, and Saraquael… he stabbed me with an angelic blade and I'm not sure what happened after that…"

Dean cursed under his breath. "So Ezra and Jael have the kid?" He repeated louder for Sam to hear. "Well, we have to get her back. So zap on over here and give us a hand why don't you."

Sam cursed loudly and turned around, placing his hands on the kitchen counter and kicking the cabinet doors. He straightened and ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"I can't zap anywhere." Castiel whispered softly. "You could say my batteries are drained…"

Dean glanced over at Sam. "What, so, you're out of angel mojo or something?"

Sam whirled around and walked over to Dean, "What?"

"I'm saying that I'm thirsty… my head and shoulder ache… I have a bug bite that itches no matter how much I scratch it. I'm saying that I'm just incredibly…," he gave a weak, half laugh.

"...Human.." Dean continued for him. "Again?"

"Unfortunately... and this has an uncanny feeling of permanence to it," Castiel groaned, his face contorting with pain. "So... I can't go anywhere without money for... an airplane ride and food... more pain medication, ideally."

"Alright," Dean said, rubbing his forehead. "Look, no worries. We're at Bobby's, he'll wire you the cash."

Bobby arched a brow and walked over. "I will?"

Dean ignored him. "We'll see you soon, Cas."

The angel did not answer. There was a soft click then a dial tone. Sam shook his head. "Well this is perfect... psychotic angels have Judith and the one angel still alive that can help us is out of mojo."

"We'll find them, Sam," He tried to assure him. "In the meantime, I think I found a case. I came by to see if you wanted to check it out with me. I'd understand if you wanna stay here with Ella, but I, uh.."

Sam shook his head. "No, I... I'd like to come. I think a little time to herself, might do her some good. Besides, I'm going a little stir crazy here... I have too much time to sit around and feel sorry for myself."

"Okay, I'll fill you in on the way there."

_xx_

After Sam and Dean said their goodbyes to Ella and Bobby- Dean told Bobby to get Cas there as soon as possible, angel mojo or not they'd have much better luck tracking down Jael and Ezra with Castiel around- they were on their way to Louisville, Kentucky. In the past day and a half, there had been over 70 people and counting, admitted to the hospital with flu-like symptoms

Sam shook his head a little as he flipped through the newspaper articles Dean had given him on the case. "Wow, you did all of this research yourself? I'm impressed." He glanced to his brother in the driver's seat, smiling some. "I really missed you, Dean... "

Dean rolled his eyes at his brother. "Yeah, yeah, let's fast forward past the chick flick moments, shall we.." He muttered, glancing over and smirking a little before returning his eyes to the road. "So what do you think? Think it's worth checking out?"

"Yeah, I mean... this sudden spike in illness has to mean something. There are several creatures and spirits that can cause people to get sick," Sam said, looking up from the articles.

"Yeah, I talked to Bobby about it too. He said he'd do some looking around in his books to help narrow down what might be doing this," Dean said with a nod.

"I'll take care of that. I know you hate doing research," Sam said, chuckling. "We should go to the hospital and talk to the doctors, see what they think."

Dean nodded. "Let's get to the motel first and get some rest, and first thing in the morning we'll check out the hospital."


	41. Pestilence

The next morning, Sam and Dean were being led through the hospital's waiting room by a slim female doctor. Everyone was wearing masks over their noses and mouths. "So, exactly how many cases have you had lately?"

"A day and a half ago, we didn't have a single case," She said. Another doctor walked over to her and she turned for a moment to sign something on a clipboard. He walked away and she turned back to them. "Now we're looking at over 70. Infectious equivalent of a briefcase bomb. We really need that vaccine."

Sam nodded slowly, "Alright. We'll do what we can to get the vaccine. Could you tell us... have your patients experienced any strange symptoms? Like... mood swings... Hallucinations… maybe of a little girl...? Anything out of the ordinary?"

The woman arched a brow as she stared at them for several moments. "What?"

Sam shook his head. "Uh.. never mind. You know, I think we've got everything we need for now..."

"Okay..." She said, still eyeing the two curiously before walking off.

Dean watched her walk away before turning to his brother and gesturing towards the mask on his face. "Hey, check it out, I look like the king of pop." Silence. "Too soon?" He asked after his brother gave him a blank stare. "Too soon."

Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head as he turned around and started out of the hospital.

"So, think this is just a bunch of people with the sniffles, or something more?" Dean asked as he caught up with Sam outside the hospital. He pulled the keys out of his pocket and slid behind the wheel of the Impala. Heat Of The Moment started playing from the radio as Dean started up the car. "Whoo! Asia!"

Sam immediately stiffened as the song came on and lurched forward, violently pressing the SEEK button rapidly to change the station. He glanced up at Dean then cleared his throat, straightening in the passenger seat as another song began to play. "I don't know, Dean. That many cases over that short a time frame. I think we're dealing with something more than a few people trying to get paid sick days off of work."

Dean watched his brother with slight amusement and then cleared his throat. "Yeah. Did Bobby ever get back to you about some of the creatures that could be responsible? He was supposed to call me back, but knowing these stupid cell phones, his call probably never came through, "He grumbled, opening the red Verizon flip phone before closing it roughly and stuffing it back in his jacket pocket as he rolled his eyes.

Sam pressed the small center button on his black sliding phone and nodded. "He left me a voicemail. Hold on and I'll let you know what he said." Sam dialed a few numbers then pressed the phone to his ear. He was quiet a moment then a little smirk turned up the corner of his mouth. "He said, 'you need a new phone, idjit.' " Sam mimicked Bobby's voice. "And then... acheri. He said it could be an acheri. We've dealt with those before... I've never known them to do this many this fast though... um... a couple spirits and demons... nothing that actually fits the bill. Most of this stuff goes after specific targets... not every average Joe."

"Well, whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it has no problem turning towns full of people into a sniffling mess," He said. "On the way out, I spoke to this hot nurse..." He paused for a moment, looking distracted before he cleared his throat. "Well anyway, she told me some stuff, and it turns out, it's hit three other towns too, that we know of."

Sam arched a brow. "Dean… we're on a case." He said, shaking his head as he rolled his eyes. "Three other towns… I guess we can just start with the creatures Bobby gave us and try process of elimination. Let's head back to the hotel. I can look some things up on the computer and we can get something to eat."

"Food," Dean agreed with a quick nod. "But first," He said, stepping out of the car without even waiting on Sam's reply. He calmly pulled the cell phone out of his pocket and sat it on the pavement behind one of the Impala's back tires. He got back in the car, all the while his brother staring at him, and put the car in reverse. Though they couldn't hear it over the roar of the engine, the phone cracked and was quickly crushed into pieces underneath the tire. He put the car back in drive, his foot on the brakes as he looked at his brother, letting out a sigh of relief. "Okay, we can go."

_xx_

When they got to the motel and stepped inside, a cold breeze flew through the dark room as Dean reached for the light switch. He stiffened a moment, flipping the light switch on just as he pulled his pistol out of his jacket pocket.

In the middle of the room there was a man tied to a chair. A cloth sack with a black symbol drawn over the front of it was pulled over the man's head. Blood had seeped through the fabric of the bag in various places and the crimson fluid dotted the man's white undershirt. Next to the chair, stood a familiar man in a nice black suit and dark hair. "'Ello boys," He said with a grin.

Sam pulled out the demon killing knife and narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here, Crowley?"

"Fancy a fag and a chat?" He quipped with a smirk, and then rolled his eyes "Alright, you're upset. We should discuss it."

"I'd rather get straight to the killing," Dean said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Dean, Dean, Dean..." Crowley clicked his tongue as he stepped forward. "Now why would you do that? I let your girlfriend free of her crossroad duties. You should be thanking me."

Sam's brows furrowed and he looked between the demon and his brother. "He did what? Oshea's not a demon anymore?"

Dean lowered his eyes, ignoring Sam's question. Crowley noticed this, looking at Dean, at Sam, then back to Dean. "Well well I guess Deano here didn't tell you. It's been... well almost four months since I sent Miss Blackwood on her way."

Sam stared at his brother and stepped toward him, giving his shoulder a tiny shove. "Dean, what is he talking about? Why didn't you tell me Oshea was back to normal? Where is she? Have you seen her?"

"Sam- Just shut up a minute, Sam!" Dean yelled back.

"Shut up the both of you!" Crowley said, glaring at the two of them. "Look, I don't want to be here as much as you don't want me here. But can you two stow the couple's therapy, and let us get to the business at hand?"

Dean's brows furrowed. "Which is?"

"Pestilence."


	42. Careful With That Axe, Eugene

"Pestilence?" Dean repeated. "The Horsemen Pestilence?"

"Nah, there's a lesser known Victoria's Secret model who's nickname is Pestilence, and I figured the two of you might hit it off -of _course _Pestilence the Horsemen," He said, rolling his eyes in frustration. "Honestly, you're lucky you have your looks, Dean. Because you're not that bright."

Sam stared at the person in the chair and nodded toward him. "And who is this? A friend of yours?"

"Which brings me to the reason I'm here. I know you took down War a few months ago, good job with that by the way, couldn't have done a better job myself. Well," He paused. "I probably could have. But anywho, about Pestilence, I don't know where he is, per se... but I know someone who does," He said, pacing around while he spoke until he stood behind the chair and rested his hands on the man's shoulders. "He's a demon... and also the Horsemen's.. stable boy, I suppose you could say. He handles their personal needs, itineraries, etcetera, etcetera. He'll tell us where Sneezy's at."

"Could you hurry this along, Crowley? We don't have time for your games. Innocent people are dying." Sam said, narrowing his eyes.

"Very well," Crowley nodded. "I didn't anticipate that Sam was ready to hit the road just yet; I was hoping I only had to deal with Dean, to spare Sam the grief..."

Suddenly, the man in the chair stirred a little. "Sam?" His voice was muffled underneath the sack covering his face. "Sam is that you?"

"I believe the two of you already know each other..." Crowley said, pulling it off his face and stepping back.

Sam's brows furrowed at the muffled voice behind the bloodied sack. He took a step forward, trying to place it. When Crowley pulled the sack off of his captive's face, Sam's eyes grew wide and he took a step back. "Brady..? No... no there has to be a mistake... Brady's not a ..."

"Brady hasn't been Brady in years," The man said smiling a little. Blood dripped down from his lips and nose, and the top of his forehead, staining the white collar of his suit. "Not since, oh... middle of our sophomore year?"

Sam shook his head. "No... that can't be..." He swallowed hard. "You... you introduced me to Jess!" Dean held back Sam, who had started towards Brady.

"Ding ding! I think he's got it," He said, and then laughed as he watched Dean struggle with Sam and pull him into the small but separated kitchenette in the room. Crowley stayed behind, pulling up another chair and sitting in front of the demon.

"Sam, calm down a second!" Dean said, blocking the entry way of the kitchenette with his arm.

"Calm down? I just found out that one of my best friends is... was... HAS BEEN... a freaking DEMON for YEARS!" Sam said quickly, pacing around a little in th kitchen.

"Well killing that thing in there, it's not going to help us. Like you said, innocent people are dying," Dean said. "Come on, Sam, Horsemen are running around causing chaos, for crying out loud. Don't you recall the little conversation we all had at Chuck's about the ritual being a fake, Oshea dying for no reason, and, oh yeah, us needing each of the Horsemen's rings to stop all this crap!"

Sam took a deep breath and sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair. "Fine... fine, I'm okay." He said softly. "Let's just go out there and get what we need from him so we can kill him." Dean nodded in agreement and started to follow Sam out of the room.

Sam paused just outside of the door and glanced back at his brother for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Dean." He shut the door and held onto the knob as he reached over and grabbed a chair, pinning it beneath the knob. Once he was satisfied it was shut, he turned and walked back to the room where Brady was, holding the knife tightly in his fist. "Sophomore year, huh?"

"Sam? Oh Sam come on! Hey! Open the door!" Dean yelled, banging on the door, but Sam's attention was now fully focused on the demon.

"Great. You wanna talk. Figured you might," Brady rolled his eyes and nodded. "Brady here, he was a good kid. He really was. Straight arrow, he was your best friend, really. Perfect point of access," He grinned.

Sam paused a moment, staring at him with narrowed eyes. "...Thanksgiving?"

"Yes sir!" He said, smiling from ear to ear. "Remember when I came back from break all messed up? Dropped out of pre-med... the drugs, the bitches. That was the new Brady. That was me," He winked. "Do you remember how much time you wasted trying to get me back on the right track? You really were a good friend, Sam...But! Old Yellow Eyes didn't send me back to be your friend. No no no," He shook his head. "We could tell we were staring to lose you. You were becoming a mild-mannered worthless sack of piss. You were our favorite, we couldn't have that happen!" He laughed. "Though, that didn't exactly work out as we planned... you still ended up being the pathetic pissant of a human you are. You didn't follow the destiny you were supposed to, and for that, I am truly disappointed, Sam." He clicked his tongue. "Nevertheless, back then, we thought you had such promise. So, I hooked you up with a pure, sweet, innocent piece of tail. And then I toasted her on the ceiling." When Sam gave him a confused and angry look, he continued, grinning. "That's right, Azazel may have put the hit out on Jessica, but I got to have all the fun. And man, did I have fun," He chuckled. "You know. She thought we were friends too, me and her. Let me right in the door. She was baking cookies. She was so surprised, so hurt, when I started in on her."

Sam was growing angrier with every word Brady said. He flexed his fingers around the handle of the knife. When Brady reached the part about Jess, he couldn't stand it any longer. He lurched forward, grabbing Brady's shoulder roughly and pressing the knife against his neck just under his jaw, cutting a long gash into the skin.

"Come on! Do it if it'll make you feel better!" Brady said, partly laughing as Sam kept the blade pressed against his flickering wound. When Sam pulled away, the demon continued to laugh for several moments. "Well that was very anti-climactic," He said, smirking. "Guess that's why our plans for you never worked out, well, not at least in the way we had hoped. But we can't forget little Ella. We had no idea she'd come into the picture, her and her sister. And after your idiot of a brother killed Yellow Eyes, well, I kept a close eye on you guys for a short while there, hoping there was the littlest chance you would crack under the pressure of trying to save your brother. But you didn't, and that was a huge letdown, I gotta tell you. Though things ended up alright in the end, didn't they?" He paused for a moment, staring at Sam. "You meeting Ella Blackwood was the best thing that could have ever happened. Marrying her, knocking her up... and oh, here's the kicker! Finding out that she was half angel! I did not see that coming!" He chuckled for several moments. "Oh come on, even you gotta admit, that was just perfect. You, with the demon blood coursing through your veins, and Ella, with angelic abilities. Part evil, part good, all powerful, all packed into one bundle of joy that you unknowingly hand delivered right to us," He sat there a moment, waiting for a reaction.

Sam stood just in front of him, demon blood dripping from the edge of the knife. When he began to talk about Ella, Sam clenched his jaw. "Shut up." He said lowly, his shoulders rising and falling rapidly as he tried to calm his anger. Everything seemed to stop when Brady mentioned the baby, and Sam for a moment was overcome with shock. The shock quickly became anger and he drove the demon killing knife into Brady's shoulder, twisting it around. "Where is my baby?"

Sam's yells and Brady's agonized screams were soon followed by a loud crash and the splintering of the wooden chair breaking into pieces. "Sam, stop it!" Dean yelled, bursting into the room.

Crowley suddenly appeared several feet away, looking exhausted. His dark hair was in disarray and there was a small cut below one of his eyes. Little dots of blood were sprinkled across various parts of his face, and his suit was ripped across the front.

"God. The day I've had," He shook his head, and then looked over to Brady and Sam. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt something? My apologies. Sam, be a doll and remove your knife, kindly. I have a little news for him that may be helpful in getting us what we need. Then by all means, continue your desperate attempt at keeping your male bravado intact whilst exacting your poorly crafted revenge."

"He knows something about Judith!" Sam yelled, looking at Dean briefly as his brother stormed into the room. When Crowley reappeared, Sam clenched his jaw and violently yanked out the knife. The rough edges of the blade tore out small chunks of skin as he did so. He slowly took a step backwards, fidgeting. Crowley walked past Dean, smirking a little though saying nothing as he paced calmly towards the demon bound to the chair.

"What did you do?" Brady asked, a hint of worry in his voice as he watched Crowley walk in a circle around the chair once.

"Just went over to a demon's nest... had a little massacre," He said with a shrug. "Must be losing my touch, though. Let one of the little toads live. Oops," He smiled. "Also might have given said toad the impression that you left your post last night. And that you and I are, wait for it. Lovers in league against Satan."

Crowley turned for a moment, looking at Dean. "You see, I'm already in a peck of trouble for letting your girl out early from what was supposed to be a lifelong contract. I had no intention of ever letting her go, of course, but I did, and now all the other big baddies are a bit upset. Think it's not fair, blah blah, all that jazz. They think I'm following you two around like a lost puppy, helping you out. So," He turned back to Brady. "Might as well bring as many demons down with me as I can, darling."

Brady exhaled slowly, glaring at Crowley intensely. "Screw you."

"Now, now, we can get to our torrid passion later. In the meanwhile, why don't you tell me where Pestilence is at?"

"And where is Judith?" Sam added, taking a step toward the two. "Did the angels bring her to you?"

Brady was about to spit out another sarcastic remark when he was interrupted by loud howling noises in the distance. "Oh God, Crowley..." Brady said, looking around him and then back up at them.

"Was that a hell hound?" Dean asked, his eyes widening a bit.

"I'd say yeah," Crowley replied with a nod.

"Okay," Dean said, "I'll ask the number one question: Why was that a hell hound?"

Crowley's brows furrowed as he pulled a small coin out of the inside of his pocket, cursing a little. He held it up for them to see. "Huh. Demons must have planted a tracking device on me."

Sam's eyes grew wide as he looked over at Crowley. "Come again?"

"You're saying a hell hound followed you here?" Dean said, arching a brow.

"Well, technically it followed this," He said, gesturing at the coin as he bobbed his head a bit.

"Get me out of here and I'll tell you anything you want," Brady said quickly.

"Okay then, we should go?" Dean said.

"Sorry boys," Crowley shook his head. "No one knows more about the hounds than I. You're long past the point of go." Without another word, he tossed the coin in the air. Dean caught it, looking down as it landed in his palm. When they looked around, Crowley was gone, the only sound left in the room was another distant howl.

Dean cursed. Sam shook his head. "Well this is just perfect. I knew it! I knew we should have just killed them and left! I -told- you!"

"Oh well good for you," Dean muttered sarcastically. "Good thing we have salt in the kitchen. You watch Brady."

Sam nodded, looking over at Brady with narrowed eyes. "Gladly." He walked over to him. "Tell me where my daughter is." He said lowly as Dean left to go to the kitchen. Another howl resounded, growing closer. "All we have to do is leave that coin with you and we're off... and you'll be a chew toy."

"Get me the hell out of here!" Brady yelled. Just as Dean had started for the kitchenette, one of the windows in the bedroom shattered as the hell hound leapt through, growling. Dean grabbed for his shotgun, loading it as he backed away slowly, just as Crowley suddenly reappeared in the room. "Stay!" At the sound of his voice, the invisible hound stopped in his tracks.

"You can control them?" Dean asked.

"Not that one. I brought my own," Crowley smirked as he patted the air down above his waist. "Sick 'em boy!"

Sam took a step back as the hounds began to fight. He glanced down at Brady and drummed the tips of his fingers against the handle of the knife. "If I bring you with us... you're going to tell me where Judith is." He said before cutting the ropes.

Blood splattered on the floor and in the air, furniture jerking around as the hounds fought. Dean pulled the rug up and scraped away at the devil's trap on the floor. He grabbed their dufflebags and the three of them made a quick escape from the motel room. Crowley was already waiting by the Impala. "I'll wager you thousand my pup wins," He said with a chuckle as they all piled into the vehicle.


	43. I Don't Need No Doctor

Moments later Sam, his brother, and Brady were standing in a damp alley with a single light shining down at the end from a small lamp attached to the wall of one of the buildings. Sam tapped the tip of his finger against the handle of the demon killing knife. There was a huge advertisement for shaving cream on the back wall, peeling away in thin strips.

"Yeah, I'm sure Pestilence will be there," Brady said, reluctantly handing over a piece of paper to Crowley.

"What do you think?" Dean asked as Crowley started to walk towards him and Sam.

"It's good," He said, handing it to him. He turned back to Brady. "Got no reason to lie, have ya?"

"You've screwed me. For eternity."

"Nah, won't last that long. Trust me," He and Dean started to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to do you a favor," Crowley said, stopping, though Dean continued, pulling out a pail of salt and spreading a line across the pavement in front of them. He left a space open for Crowley to walk past. "I expect we'll be in touch," He said before vanishing. Dean finished the line of salt and walked back to Sam's side.

"What is this?" Brady asked, his hands in his pockets as he glared at them.

"All those angels, all those demons, all those sons-of-bitches... they just don't get it, do they Sammy?" Dean said, smirking a little at Brady.

Sam kept his expression stoic as he stared at Brady, holding the knife tightly in his hand. "No... no they don't."

"You see, Brady, we're the ones you should be afraid of," Dean said.

Brady scoffed, looking at Sam. "I bet this is a real moment for ya, big boy. Make you feel all better? Gonna make up for all the times me and Yellow Eyes yanked your chain?" He chuckled. "You ever wonder why I was so in your blind spot? Maybe it's cause we got the same stuff in our veins."

"Just tell me where Judith is, and maybe we'll let you go." Sam said, stalking toward him with the demon killing knife. "Where is she? Do the demons have her?"

"Please," He scoffed. "You're gonna kill me and you know it."

"Just answer the question!" He snapped. "Where is my daughter?"

"Even if I knew, why would I tell you?"

"Fine," Sam said, jamming the end of the knife into Brady's shoulder.

Caught off guard, Brady let out a scream of pain as light surged from the fresh wound on his shoulder, flickering slightly. He started to laugh a little. "Give it a rest, Sam. You could never have protected little old Judith, and you know it. She belongs to us now."

Sam jerked the knife free then plunged the knife into Brady's chest with a grunt. He pulled it free then shoved it into his chest again, blood spurting onto his face and hand. Dean stood off to the side, watching his brother yank the knife free a last time and Brady slump down against the wall of the building until he fell limply to the ground.

xx

"The demons have Judith, Dean," Sam said quietly as they moved through the quiet hallways of the hospital where they hoped to find Pestilence.

"I know," Dean whispered back. "And we'll get her back, Sammy. If she's important to them as they've been letting on, they're keeping her safe," He said. He nodded over to one of the doors and walked over to it, knocking on it lightly. He stepped inside, and the guard glanced up at him from the security videos on the multiple televisions across from him. "Hi, I'm looking for my nana," He said with a little smile. "Her name is Eunice Kennedy."

"You'll have to check up front with the nurse," The man replied.

"Could you help me out, please? She's about ye tall, blue hair, wears diapers?"

When the man gave him a blank stare, Dean swung his fist, sending him unconscious to the floor.

"I just don't like the idea of her being surrounded by a bunch of demons," Sam said after Dean had sent the guard to the floor. He looked at the security cameras with a frown. "Where do you think he is? This place is huge... And Dean… Eunice Kennedy…? Really?"

"That's the beauty about improv, Sammy, you never know what's gonna come out of your mouth," Dean said, glancing down at the guard before stepping over to the televisions and sitting in the chair. "Well he's Pestilence, so he probably looks sick."

"Either that or he could look completely healthy because he steals the health from others and makes them sick." Sam said, arching a brow. "We don't know anything about this guy, we can't just start making assumptions.."

What seemed like hours passed, and Dean was now leaning against the back wall while Sam sat in his place in front of the televisions. Dean started to nod off.

"Dean... Dean!" Sam said as he straightened in the chair. He looked down at the controls for the security cameras and toyed with one of the buttons, rewinding the tape and looking again. "I think I found something."

Dean arched a brow and walked over to the television, staring at it for several moments. He grabbed for his weapon and they quickly stepped out into the hallway. Sam moved quickly down the hallway, holding the knife. As they passed through one of the doorways, Sam suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. It was a little difficult to breathe. He gasped and staggered, catching himself against the wall as he coughed.

Dean looked over and started to ask if his brother was okay, but before he could speak, he started coughing and his vision began to blur. As they continued down the hall, they saw the bodies of a nurse and a doctor, who were surrounded by a puddle of blood and some unknown chunks of green. Dean fell to the ground, in front of the bodies, coughing so much that he couldn't breathe and was gasping for air.

"D-Dean...," Sam coughed roughly, moving to his brother's side. He tried to help his brother up, but found that he was too weak. He staggered, turning and looking toward the door they were outside. He narrowed his eyes, trying to clear his blurred vision. The door of the room opened and Sam shook his head, lifting the knife in his trembling hand.

A nurse with short brown curly hair stood in the doorway, smiling at him. "The doctor will see you now," She said, stepping into the room and pulling the door open further for him. In the room, a balding man in a suit was sitting on the bed.

"Sam! Dean!" He greeted, raising a hand and gesturing it towards himself for them to come in.

Sam swayed and his eyes rolled back into his head as he limply dropped to the floor, coughing weakly.

"Come right in."

The nurse grabbed Dean by the back of his shirt, dragging him into the room. He was unconscious, but as soon as she started moving him, he woke up, resuming his fits of coughing.

"Mmm. You boys don't look well," The man said, shaking his head.

Sam whimpered slightly as he was pulled in and dropped down onto the floor beside of his brother. A little blood spilled over his lips as he coughed again, dropping the demon killing knife onto the floor beside of him.

"Might be the scarlet fever," He said, raising from the hospital bed. "Or the meningitis. Oh, ha," He laughed. "Or the syphilis." Sam looked up at him weakly, making a face. He pushed himself up onto his elbows a little then fell again onto his back, coughing weakly.

He smiled as he walked over to Sam, grabbing his hair roughly and pulling his face towards him. "However bad you feel right now, it's going to get so very, very much worse. Questions?" He added before dropping Sam's head back to the floor. He walked over to the bedside table, squirting out a little hand sanitizer into his hand. "Disease gets a bad wrap, don't you think? For being filthy, chaotic... See, that just describes people. Disease itself.. very pure, single minded..." Dean started to reach out for the knife on the floor, blood dripping from his mouth. "Bacteria has one purpose. Divide... and conquer," He smirked. The bones in Dean's hands crunched under Pestilence's boot, and he cried out in pain.

"That's why in the end, it always wins." He kicked the knife. It slid across the floor away from him. "So, you've gotta wonder why God pours all of his love into something so messy!" He yelled. "And weak! It's ridiculous," He said with a little shrug as he reached in his pocket and pulled out his glasses. "All I can do is show him he's wrong, one epidemic at a time." He looked down at them once his glasses were on. "So, on a scale of one to ten... how's your pain?"

Sam turned back onto his stomach and clutched his midsection as he dry heaved onto the floor, unable to stop coughing. The door burst open and struck the opposite wall as Castiel stepped into the room, his eyes narrowed.

"Cas?" Dean managed to say.

"How did you get here?" Pestilence glared at him, taking his glasses off.

"I took a bus," He said, glancing to Dean and Sam. "Don't worry, I-.." His brows furrowed as he stepped into the room and suddenly dropped to his hands and knees, blood pouring from his lips.

"Well, look at that..." Pestilence grinned as he leaned down face to face with Castiel. "An occupied vessel... but powerless. Fascinating," He watched him for a moment, chuckling as he spoke. "Not a speck of angel in you.. is there?"

Castiel spat out a bit of blood, groaning softly. he reached over and snatched the demon killing knife, lurching upward and grabbing Pestilence's hand. He shoved it down onto a hospital cart and sawing off the Horseman's ring. "Maybe just a speck."

Pestilence let out a scream of pain, stumbling backwards just as the demon nurse lunged towards Cas, falling on top of him as she brought both of them to the ground.

Castiel was still holding onto the dagger and he shoved it into her chest as she fell onto him. He pushed her body off of him as light poured through it and little pops of electricity issued from the wound. He stood up and looked over to Dean and Sam.

Sam and Dean scrambled to their feet and Dean walked over to the hospital cart, picking up Pestilence's ring finger.

"Doesn't matter," He said from behind him, holding his bleeding hand. "It's too late." And with that he vanished.


	44. Only Happy When It Rains

A young woman with red hair wearing a red and black plaid button down shirt beneath a grey coat stepped onto the gravel crossroads carrying a small box. She placed a hand against the small of her back as she knelt down and buried the box. Standing to her feet, she brushed the gravel from the knees of her jeans and looked around. "Crowley... Crowley, I need to talk to you..."

Crowley appeared behind her. "Back so soon love?"

She turned around to face him and slowly walked toward him. "I didn't know where else to go." She said quietly, keeping her eyes down as she placed a hand against her slightly bulging stomach.

Crowley looked down at her stomach and then smirked a little. "Huh. The plot thickens," He stepped towards her a bit. "Tell me doll, why did you exactly come here? It can't be because you think I actually care. So what is it then?"

She bit her lower lip. "I told you... I didn't know where else to go. I was hoping... I thought since you..." She sighed. "I don't have anyone. My sister hates me... the family I thought I had in Scotland, they aren't my family.. not really... and Dean...," Her voice caught a little. "Dean wants nothing to do with me."

"Can you blame him?" Crowley asked. He sighed. "I was your boss, Oshea, nothing more. I could care less if you jumped off the bloody wagon completely. You dug the hole that you're in right now, so you'd better suck up your pride and talk to your loverboy about the little situation at hand here." He gestured towards her stomach.

Oshea kept her eyes down, chewing on her lower lip. Her now raging hormones were messing with her emotions, and she was trying not to cry. "Dean doesn't want me.. do you really think he'd want this baby...? I don't even know where he is..."

Crowley disappeared for a moment. "Springwood Motel. Mason City, Iowa," He said, reappearing a few moments later. "Now, unless one day you decide you wanna go on a little massacre and need my help, I suggest you don't bother me again. Yes?"

She smiled a little and nodded. "Thank you, Crowley..." She whispered, turning and starting away from the crossroads.

_xx_

A few hours had passed since he let Sam drop him off at the Springwood Motel on their way to Bobby's. He was exhausted from driving all night and half a day, and almost having his insides turned out by Pestilence, so he let Sam take the Impala to go check on Ella while he hung back at the motel and got some much needed rest. Rain was falling hard on the roof of the one story building, but it was only when there was a knock at the door that he woke from his slumber. He groggily pulled the covers off of him, only wearing a tight black t-shirt and a pair of boxers, and walked over to the door. He grabbed his pistol from under his pillow out of reflex, noticing the time on the alarm clock. 3:11AM. When he reached the door, he slowly pulled it open.

A familiar figure stood outside of the door, her arms curled over her chest. Her dripping red hair was plastered to her forehead and her clothes were clinging to her like a second skin from the rain. The cool moisture was running down her face and dripping from the edge of her coat. She looked up at Dean briefly then looked down at her feet. "...hi, Dean."

Dean's jaw dropped a little and he stared at her for several moments. "Hi Dean?" He repeated. "_Hi Dean? _You show up at a motel at three in the morning, in the pouring rain, after disappearing months ago, and all you have to say is 'hi Dean'?" He glanced down at her slightly protruding stomach. "Whatisthat?"

Oshea shivered a little and lowered her hands to touch her stomach. "It's my... our...," She sighed. "Dean, I'm pregnant..."

Dean didn't know what to say. Instead, he involuntarily chose the option of standing in the doorway with a dumbfounded look on his face, not being able to tear his eyes away from her stomach, or grasp the concept of breathing or forming words.

Oshea kept her eyes down and began to speak very fast. "I know you said you didn't want anything to do with me and to not ever come to you again... and that last time... Christmas... it... you were drunk, and I ... I get it...," Tears began to run down her face, mingling with the rain. "But I didn't know where else to go... if... I mean, I understand if you don't... just tell me to leave and I'll go..."

Dean watched as she rambled on and on, and he immediately pulled her inside by one of her arms and pulled her to him as she cried. He didn't care that she was soaking wet, that she had just up and left him before. All of that quickly vanished from his mind. "Damn you and your stupid pregnancy hormones. I was trying to be mad at you, and you went and screwed it all up by coming here and making it all impossible for me to be mad at you," He said with a little chuckle.

Oshea had been expecting a lot of reactions, and had played them over and over in her mind as she rode the plane and the bus and walked the rest of the way to the hotel. She had not been expecting this. As he pulled her to him, she threw her arms around him and clung to him, burying her face in his chest. "Dean, I'm so sorry... I'm so, so sorry... for everything."

Dean sighed. He had hoped his little bit of humor would have lightened the mood. He wrapped his arms around her waist and just let her cry for a few moments. He finally pulled himself away and closed the motel door. He dug through his duffle bag at the foot of the bed until he pulled out one of his long sleeved shirts and a pair of drawstring pajama pants. "Here, change into these before you freeze to death."

Oshea sniffed as she stepped into the room and shed her drenched clothes. She pulled on the clothes he offered her and sat down on the edge of the bed. The tears had finally stopped coming and she smiled as she looked down at her stomach that was lightly pressing against the shirt she was wearing. Dean walked over and sat down next to her. He didn't really know what to say. As happy as he was to see Oshea again, he remembered the reason that she was there. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that she was pregnant.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to come," She said, toying with the long sleeves of the shirt she wore. "I just... I couldn't believe it. I took test after test... and then when I started to show, I just couldn't deny it anymore. I was really scared..."

"Let's just get some rest, we can talk about it in the morning," Dean said, turning to her with a little tired smile. "I've been driving all night and you interrupted my beauty sleep."

Oshea looked over at him and grinned. "Yeah... you're gonna need all of the beauty sleep you can get." She said softly.

"The pregnancy hormones must be making you delusional," Dean rolled his eyes.

She grinned and gave him a little shove. "Don't insult the pregnant lady." She said before standing up and pulling down the covers of the bed. She climbed inside and tugged the covers up to her chin.


	45. Here And Now

Dean's phone rang early the next morning, waking Dean up only two hours after he had finally fallen asleep. He looked over next to him, where Oshea was still fast asleep huddled underneath the blankets. He flipped open his cell phone. "Yeah?" He asked sleepily.

"Dean, it's Sam. Sorry to call this early," His younger brother said through the phone. "Listen, Ella and I, we've been doing some talking and we've decided that it's about time we get back into the hunting scene. We're not going to find Judith by moping around Bobby's."

Dean quietly got up from the bed, walking over to the bathroom and standing in the doorway as he talked. "That's great," He said tiredly. "Look, uh... are you guys on your way here?"

"Yeah, Bobby has a case for us. Nothing major, just a spirit stirring up some trouble. Should just be an open-shut thing. Me and Ella are going to pick you up so we can take care of it." Oshea opened her eyes and looked onto his side of the bed.

"Dean?" She whispered sleepily, rubbing her eyes as she climbed up and walked over to where Dean stood. "Dean, who are you talking to?"

Sam paused. "Dean... is someone else there? Is that girl? Do you have a girl there?"

Dean mouthed 'Sam' to Oshea and then sighed. "Yeah, about that... I'll explain to you guys when you get here."

"Should Ella and I wait? I don't want a repeat of... that one time. Natural act or not, that was not a side of you I wanted to see, Dean." Sam said slowly. Oshea nodded and moved to him, leaning up and kissing his cheek gently. "I'm going back to bed."

Dean nodded and smiled at her a little. "It's nothing like that Sam." He said with an eye roll.

"You're not in some kind of trouble are you? Because... I don't see how you could have a girl in a hotel room and it not be something like that."

Dean rolled his eyes, and Sam was met by a click as Dean closed the phone. He held it in his hand loosely as he sat on the edge of the bed. He didn't know how he was going to explain this to Sam, or how Ella would react to seeing Oshea again. He had kept what happened during Christmas to himself, hoping he could just let it blow over. Especially since the baby had been kidnapped, he didn't want to add any more problems to their never-ending list of problems.

_xx_

It was quite possibly the quietest car ride they had ever taken. Led Zeppelin was pouring from the Impala's speakers, but no one had said a word. Oshea was sitting in the back of the car at one end while Ella was sitting at the other and Sam was sitting in the front beside of his brother, staring straight ahead. They were almost to Bobby's, having decided to go there to regroup before heading out on the case. Sam was going to have a very long talk with his brother when they got there. He didn't want to upset Ella, and he certainly didn't want to have that kind of conversation in front of Oshea.

As they pulled into the driveway of the familiar home, Ella found herself glancing over at her sister for a moment. She cleared her throat and turned her way, hopping out of the vehicle as it came to a stop. Oshea glanced over to Ella and slowly climbed out after her, starting toward the door. Sam watched them then looked to Dean. "We need to talk." He said lowly before he climbed out and shut the door behind himself. The front door opened and Bobby started to speak before he saw Oshea... then her stomach. His eyes widened a little and he looked up at Dean.

"You had better tell me that she's been eating too many pies... or swallowed a balloon... got stung by a really big bee?"

"If I did would you believe me?" He asked with a nervous laugh.

"You idjits." Bobby grumbled, shaking his head. Oshea quickly slipped inside, feeling self conscious and hurriedly went upstairs to empty her nearly bursting bladder. Once they were all in the house, Bobby shut the door behind them and Sam turned to Dean.

"Dean, what the hell..."

"Don't 'what the hell' me, Sam, I explained everything back at the motel so I don't really see what you could be confused about," Dean muttered, sitting down on Bobby's couch. He rested his elbows on his knees and held his face in his hands for a moment before sighing and looking back up. Ella gave Sam a 'don't be too hard on him' look before she quietly disappeared into the kitchen to let them talk.

Sam walked after him and stood in front of him. "What I'm confused about is why after everything she did, you just... welcome her into the cabin with open arms and slept with her? She got herself hooked on demon blood, lied to all of us, killed innocent people and took their souls, Dean. She was a crossroads demon! She worked for Crowley! And that's another thing... why exactly would Crowley let her go early anyway? Crowley never does something unless he can gain something from it. Doesn't any of this bother you at all? Not to mention after your little Christmas miracle, she ran off and left you high and dry until she realized she was pregnant! Call me crazy but this doesn't sound like the healthiest relationship."

"Look," Dean said, sounding tired and quickly growing irritated at Sam. "Okay, yeah, she's done some stuff. I'm not going to deny that, and I'm not pretending any of it's okay. Because I know it's not. But she doesn't have anyone but us, Sam. Despite how screwed up all this is, we're all she's got. But if you want to send her off on her own, fine," He gestured up the stairs. "You be the one to tell her. How about that? "

Sam glanced up toward the stairs and sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes. "If it were just her, I would." He said lowly, letting his hand fall to his side. "But she's pregnant, so I can't... none of this is the kid's fault..."

Dean said nothing, and the conversation seemed to be over for the most part The room was silent until Ella and Bobby stepped back into the room, and Bobby spoke up. "You boys need to stop putting buns in the oven. I'm not running a bakery here." He grumbled as he moved back to them. Oshea slowly stepped back down the stairs, trailing a hand along the banister. Sam stared at her and Bobby cleared his throat. "You boys need to be going. That spirit isn't going to burn its own bones. Go... shoo."

The four quickly departed from the Singer household, not wanting to bother Bobby any longer. Their next case was only a couple of states over, in Ironwood, Wisconsin and was, like Sam had said, a pretty open and shut case. The spirit of a local woman, Brooke Scott, had been making a mess of several unlucky townspeople. She had been buried in the cemetery down the road from where she lived most of her life, so they made their way there for the usual drill.


	46. Never Was, Never Will Be

IRONWOOD, WISCONSIN

The cemetery was small and sat nestled amid a small group of trees not far from the road. A gravel trail led from the edge of the road into the trees and through the handful of old, decrepit looking graves. Some were unmarked with only small stone pillars to indicate where the person had been buried. Brooke Scott's grave was one of the marked. Her stone was a flat, rhombus shape with her name carved in block letters and a carving of spread wings beneath it. Sam pressed the tip of his shovel into the dry, cracking earth and began to dig. Oshea stood by one of the other headstones, a tall, pointed monument built for the town's long deceased mayor, holding a shotgun loosely at her side.

Sam grunted. "So, Oshea. I don't suppose any of your demon friends told you where they took our baby, Judith?"

Oshea kept her eyes down and shook her head. "No... I don't know anything about that..."

Ella stood a few gravestones over, ready with the small bucket of salt and lighter in hand. Dean continued to dig at the grave with Sam, until they finally reached the casket underneath.

Oshea glanced over to her sister with a small frown. They hadn't spoken to one another since she had come back. Oshea knew that she deserved it after the things that she had done, but that didn't make it any easier. She straightened from the monument she was leaning against and was about to head back to the Impala when something grabbed the side of her head and slammed it into the monument. The old stone cracked at the impact and Oshea dropped her gun, her vision swimming. Before she could react, she was lifted off of the ground and flung backwards into one of the larger arched tombstones. The stone cracked beneath her and she fell limply to the ground, blood pouring from the gash across her forehead.

"Sonofabitch.." Dean muttered quickly. "Hurry!" He said to his brother as he dropped his own shovel next to the now open grave. "Help Sam!" He shouted to Ella as he ran over to Oshea's side. Ella rushed over to the edge of the grave, waiting on Sam to pull the coffin lid open.

Sam's eyes grew wide and he nodded quickly, tossing his shovel up onto the ground as he pulled open the coffin and climbed out. He turned to look at Ella and he stared over her shoulder, seeing the flickering woman going after Dean. He ran passed his wife and snatched up the gun Oshea had dropped. The spirit burst as the salt bullets tore through her form. He kept the gun lifted and swiveled this way and that until Ella had lit the fire and flames were licking the edges of the disturbed grave.

_xx_

The following hour went by in a blur. They had to carry Oshea's unconscious body to the car, and after that they drove as fast as the Impala would let them to the nearest hospital. The speed limit was 55, but Dean found himself going close to 80 at times.

Oshea was immediately rushed away on a gurney, and the three Winchesters were left in the waiting room. Sam looked between his brother and wife slowly. "She's going to be okay. We've been through worse than this." He tried to reassure them. It seemed like an eternity before a doctor stepped outside and called out her name. He warned that only family was allowed to see her at the moment, but Sam assured him that Dean was her husband and Ella her sister. After taking a cramped elevator to one of the upper floors, the group was directed down a long hallway. The only sounds were the squeaking wheels of nurses' carts, a static-y hum of the cheap televisions, and the beeping of heart monitors.

When they reached her room, Sam shook his head a little, remembering that the doctor had also told them only one could enter the room at a time. "Go ahead, Dean... we'll be right here."

As Dean stepped inside, the door closing behind him, Ella sat down next to Sam in the chairs outside of the room. She leaned her head on her husband's shoulder and sighed. Several minutes passed and Dean finally left the room, walking past them quickly. "Going for a walk..."

Ella rose from the chair, watching after him for a moment. "Go after him," She nodded at Sam. "I'll stay with Oshea, see what's going on."

Sam stood up and nodded to his wife, starting quickly down the hallway after his brother. "Dean!" He was immediately shushed by a portly nurse wearing a stained scrub shirt. Sam touched his brother's shoulder when he finally caught up to him. "Dean, what's going on?"

Dean sighed, turning around. "Oshea's going to be okay... Can't say the same for the baby."

Sam's eyes widened slightly. "You... you mean... she..."

"Yeah. Her.. injuries were too severe, I guess... and the kid didn't make it," He said, looking at the ground. "You know," He laughed bitterly. "I never really pictured me having kids, getting married, the whole nine yards... and I made myself think I was okay with that. And when Oshea showed up, I tried to stay calm, act like it was going to be alright, even though I was freaking out on the inside. But now..." His voice trailed off as he shook his head. "I donno, Sammy. And I can't even imagine what Oshea's going through right now."

Sam lowered his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. "Dean, I... I'm so sorry." He was quiet for a moment then continued. "I'm sorry about the way I've been acting, too... you know, about Oshea. I shouldn't have been so hard on her... or you." Lifting his eyes, he looked at his older brother. "Is there anything I can do?... I... I could try calling Cas...? Maybe he could help..."

Dean shook his head. "What could he possibly do, Sam? The kid is gone. Even if he could do something to bring it back, undo this... that would be wrong on so many levels. I just..." He sighed. "I need some time to wrap my head around this, that's all." With that, he turned around and walked away.


	47. Kidnap An Angel

SHELDON, IOWA

Two weeks had passed since Oshea been released from the hospital, and it hadn't been an easy two weeks for any of them. Oshea and Dean had kept to themselves for the most part, which Sam and Ella understood. No one seemed to be able to get in contact with Castiel, though, he was finally getting his angel mojo back, slowly but surely, so they figured that he was busy wrangling his brothers and sisters in Heaven while still trying to find leads as to where the demons had taken Judith. They weren't too worried, they just wished he'd hurry up and give them a little heads up on what was going on.

As the second week progressed, things were starting to return to normal, or what could be considered as normal in the freak show they called their life They were following some demonic omens, hoping any little thing could lead them to Judith. They had stopped on the way at a cheap motel to rest up before they went on another day long drive. Dean and Oshea were asleep on one bed, Sam on the other. Ella was just making her way back to the bed from the bathroom when the chorus of Renegade belted out loudly from Dean's phone on the nightstand.

"Sonofawhore!" Ella cried out in surprise as she jumped at the sudden sound, which caused Dean, Oshea, and Sam to wake up.

"Real lady you got there, Sam.." Dean muttered into the pillow as he reached his hand over to the nightstand and snatched up the phone, flipping it open. "Hello?"

Sam rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand and smiled a little sleepily, curling his other arm around Ella's waist as she stepped back to the bed. "Mhm... the best." He said quietly. Oshea pushed herself up onto her elbows, still looking tired and disheveled. She had been quiet since getting back from the hospital, and the times they were not out investigating, she was curled up in the bed sleeping.

"Dean...?" The voice was in a low whisper. "Dean... This is Castiel."

"Cas?" Dean's brows furrowed as he sat up in the bed. "Where have you been? We haven't seen you since Pestilence and you never answer your phone," He pulled the phone away from his ear a moment to look at unfamiliar number the screen. "Where are you calling from anyway?"

"A girl's closet." Came the quiet answer. There was a rustling and silence for a moment before Dean could hear Castiel's quiet breathing into the receiver. "Dean, listen very carefully... this is very important." He whispered. "I need your help."

"A girl's closet?" Dean repeated with a laugh. "You're kidding m- wait. You're never kidding. What's going on, Cas? Why are you whispering?"

"I'm being held hostage by a girl," Castiel said flatly.

Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing; he almost wanted to laugh. No, he definitely wanted to laugh. "Held hostage? Can't you just like, poof, outta there?"

"No. There are Enochian sigils everywhere, and she has managed to perform some kind of spell to keep me here." Castiel said quietly.

"Is she a demon? Or a hunter? She's gotta be a demon or something... why else would she be keeping you trapped there, or know what those symbols are, for that matter," Dean looked over at Sam, Ella, and Oshea, who were all staring at him with the same confused expression.

"Uh... no. She... she says she's a fan of mine and that she... loves me and... other things that I would rather not repeat. She's made me dress in strange clothes and cook for her. She wanted me to do ... other things, but I told her that I did not feel it was appropriate."

"Fan? So what is this, some kind of Misery thing?" He moved the phone away from his mouth. "Cas has been kidnapped by some crazy chick who claims to be his fan," He explained to the others.

"Well that's... new," Ella said, arching a brow.

"I do not understand that reference," Castiel said after a moment. "Dean, this is serious, I-" He was cut off and Dean could hear the door opening in the background and a girl's voice before the phone clicked and a dial tone began buzzing in his ear.

"Cas? Cas!" He pulled the phone away from his ear, looking over at Sam. "Looks like we've got an angel to rescue."


	48. Spellbound

"So, let me get this straight. Cas has been taken by some kind of super fan, who apparently knows how to work some serious spell work to be able to keep an angel trapped inside her house. And now he needs our help?" Ella asked, propping her elbows on her legs as she sat cross-legged on the bed, her chin resting on her hands. The four of them were now wide awake thanks to Castiel's strange phone call, and were trying to figure the situation out.

Dean nodded. "That about sums it up, yeah."

"But fan... fan of what exactly? Last I checked, random teenage girls don't just happen to have strange obsessions with angels in trench coats."

"How would she even know Castiel existed?" Oshea whispered. She sat beside Dean on their bed, hugging a pillow to her chest and resting her chin on it. "She would have had to summon him to get him there, and to do that she would have had to know his name specifically... it's probably the same with whatever spell she's using to hold him there... she would have had to have known his name."

"Yeah, it doesn't make any sense," Dean agreed. "Well first of all we're gonna have to see where Cas is being hidden. Think you could try to track down who that number belongs to?" He said to Sam, tossing him his cell phone.

Sam caught the phone and nodded, flipping it open and pressing a few buttons. He shook his head and gave a slight laugh. "It's not even unlisted. This should only take a second." he said, sitting down at the table and opening his laptop.

Oshea toyed with the edge of the pillow case, keeping her eyes down. "I wonder what she wants with Castiel..."

xx

"Castiel, I'm home!" Kelly Hargrove smiled from ear to ear as she stepped into her small apartment. She dropped her purse on the table by the door, and made her way down the hallway to her bedroom. Various band, anime, and movie posters covered her walls, and a queen sized bed with purple sheets was pushed up against the wall, next to a cheaply made bookshelf which held the entire collection of the Carver Edlund 'Supernatural' books, along with several Stephen King Books. She pulled the skinny black band off her wrist and pulled her long, dark hair up into a ponytail. "Cas? Where are you hiding?"

Castiel barely had time to hang up the phone before she stepped into her room. As she called for him, he hugged the telephone to his chest and eased himself further back in the closet. There was a soft rustling of wings and he appeared behind Kelly by her nightstand where he quickly sat down the phone before speaking. "I'm... here, Kelly."

She turned around, and looked at him with a relieved smile. "For a second there I thought you were trying to make an escape," She said with a chuckle.

Castiel stared at her. "You know that I can't. I don't understand why you are keeping me here..."

"We've already been over that, silly," She said with a smile as she stepped out of the room a moment. She returned with her purse and she quickly dug inside, pulling out a small paperback book. "Look what I found!" She smiled "Last copy they had at the bookstore." The front cover showed two muscular handsome men, the shorter of the two holding a knife dripping with blood, and Castiel stood off to the side, in front of the black '67 Chevy Impala. Above them were the words 'On The Head Of A Pin' in large red letters. "It's the newest one Carver Edlund released... I'm so glad he started publishing again," She grinned as she flipped through the pages of the book and then snapped it shut, causing him to jump slightly. "Alastair is just so creepy, don't you think? I'm gonna go get started reading on this. You make yourself at home," She smiled and sat down on the bed.

Castiel flinched as she snapped the book shut and remained where he was, standing awkwardly at the end of her bed. "Yes, he is very... creepy." He repeated. She seemed to like it when he spoke with her about the books, though he had to be careful about what he said so that he would not anger her. The last time that he had, she had punished him by burning him with holy fire. His vessel's chest bore the scars. He remained quietly standing in the center of her room until she cleared her throat and made it clear with a hard look that she wanted him to sit by her. He moved to her side without a word and sat down stiffly on the edge of the bed.


	49. Break The Spell

"Hey, Dean, I've got something!" Sam said as he pressed a few keys on the laptop. "The number is listed to a Kelly Hargrove just outside of Silver Creek, Colorado."

"Alright, there an address?" Dean asked, zipping up his and Oshea's duffle bags and then leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom.

"Yeah, uh... 1408 King's Street." Sam said, arching a brow. "It's going to take us a while to get over there."

"I guess we better leave now then. Who knows what that girl is doing to Cas," Dean said.

Ella nearly choked on the Dr. Pepper she had been drinking, and everyone turned to looked at her. "What? You gotta admit that was a little funny.."

Sam found himself smiling a little in spite of himself. "He did say that she wanted to do some things that he thought 'would not be appropriate.'"

Ella shook her head a little, rolling her eyes. "Oh geez."

_xx_

Castiel was sitting stiffly on one end of a beige couch. His trench coat was gone, somewhere in the girl's room, and his suit was askew on his lean form. The buttons of his white shirt were partially unbuttoned and his tie hung loosened and crookedly against his chest. The girl was pressed against him, sleeping with her head against his chest and a hand resting against his thigh. Things had nearly gotten out of hand. The girl had begun kissing him, an act which Castiel did not know how to respond to. So he merely sat there on the couch as her lips found his own then his cheek then his jaw line. She had started to unbutton his shirt and that was when he had touched her. She had been sleeping for a while now, but Castiel knew that when she awoke she would be angry. More than likely, she would burn him again with the holy fire she was constantly threatening him with. He looked down at the edges of the burn scar that decorated his chest and sighed. He needed to call Dean and tell him to hurry. Castiel was unsure how much longer he could take this. He looked at her cell phone sitting on the coffee table and shifted, reaching his hand for it. The phone gave a little shiver and started to edge toward him but stopped. His angel powers were coming back, but it was a very slow process. The girl stirred a little, and he froze. Once he was sure she was not awake, he stretched out his leg, reaching for the phone with his bare toes. The girl had made him take his shoes and socks off as well. He slid down on the couch, his brows lifting as the tips of his toes barely reached for the phone, but she began to move again and he had to straighten.

Kelly's brown eyes fluttered open and her expression turned to confusion for several moments as she looked around. "What.. " Her eyes widened as she turned to Castiel and she sprung up from the couch. "I told you to stop doing that, Cas!" She snapped angrily. "Don't you remember the last time you used your angel powers on me?" She sighed when she saw Castiel flinch a bit and her expression immediately softened. "I'm sorry, Cas.. I hate fighting with you. Let me make it up to you," She smiled. "Let's bake cookies!"

Castiel stiffened as she leapt up and her shouting caused him to flinch as he waited for her to get the fire. Hesitantly, he looked back up at her in time to see her expression soften. "Yes, Kelly." He said quietly, standing from the couch. When they stepped into the kitchen, he closed his eyes, remaining still as she put the black apron over his head and tied it around his waist. She leaned in and placed a kiss against the tip of his nose, and Castiel sighed. "Chocolate chip?"

_xx_

"This is the place." Sam said as Dean pulled the Impala to a stop by the sidewalk outside the house. He climbed out of the car and opened the door for Ella before walking around to the trunk. Lifting it, he grabbed one of the sawed off shotguns and cocked it. "Do you think Cas is okay?"

"Let's hope so," Ella said as they all grabbed their weapons and approached the apartment. They walked down the empty hall, hiding their weapons the best they could.

When they reached the door, Sam and Dean stood on either side, pulling their guns out. Sam counted off silently with his fingers. "1... 2... 3...," On three they both kicked down the door and lifted their weapons. Castiel was standing just inside of the kitchen wearing a black apron with a white angel and words on the front that read 'Angel in the Kitchen: I create miracles daily.' His hands were hidden inside of dark oven mitts and he was holding a pan of freshly baked cookies. Sam arched a brow. "Cas….?"

Ella's eyes widened and she stifled a laugh as she stared at Castiel. "Wow."

"Thank god he's wearing clothes..." Dean muttered.

Kelly's brows furrowed as she looked at the four of them. "Who are you?" Her eyes widened as she saw the guns and she stepped back a little. "Wait... you're not... Sam and Dean Winchester... are you?"

Sam and Dean exchanged glances. "You are! And you're Ella and Oshea! I'm a huge fan!"

"Thank God," Castiel breathed, setting down the pan and shedding the apron. Oshea frowned as the angel walked to them and she pulled down the sides of his half open button down shirt, taking in the upper edges of the burn scars. Sam narrowed his eyes, looking away from Castiel back to the girl.

"What did you do to him?"

"He gave me no choice," She said with a frown as she looked down at her feet.

Ella scoffed. "So you torture him?" She shook her head. "Among all the stuff we've faced, you're definitely the nuttiest. What were you going to do, keep him your angel boytoy forever? How messed up is that."

"Let him go now. He said you've got some kind of spell keeping him from leaving," Sam said, keeping his gun trained on her. "Undo the spell."


	50. Fortune Teller

They followed her down the hall into her bedroom, and she pulled a thick black book out from between the two mattresses on her bed. As she flipped through it, Dean walked around the room, his eyes scanning past the book titles on the shelf until one made him stop in his tracks.

Lazarus Rising.

He cursed under his breath and immediately pulled it off the shelf, reading the back cover for a moment before he held it up for the others to see. "I thought Chuck stopped publishing the Supernatural books."

Kelly glanced up from the spell book and crinkled her nose a bit. "I don't know who Chuck is... but yeah, a little under a year ago, they started releasing new books. You guys didn't know?"

Sam glanced at the book then turned his eyes back to Kelly, keeping his gun trained on her. Oshea walked over to the shelf where he had pulled out the book. "There's more…," She said, trailing her hand down the spines of the paperback books. "I don't believe this…"

"So that's how she got Castiel's name. Okay, here's what's going to happen," He said, looking back to Kelly. "You're going to undo this spell then take me with you to break the Enochian sigils so Castiel can leave. Then you're going to give us your spell book along with these new Supernatural books. We clear?"

Oshea had plucked one of the books from the shelf and flipped through it, skimming the pages. "If he's publishing again… that could mean he's having more visions… he could have seen…" She stopped, sitting down slowly on the side of the bed.

Kelly nodded quickly. "You know, meeting you guys isn't as great as I thought it'd be... It's... it's more.. terrifying than it is awesome," She said, staring at their weapons before continuing to flip through the spell book until she found the page she needed.

"Welcome to our world," Dean sighed.

"Okay, it's done," Kelly said after a few minutes. "He's... free to go."

"Hey, Cas, could you pop in on Chuck real quick and bring him here?" Dean asked, looking up from the book he had been flipping through and then closing it. "I think us and him need to have a little chat."

Castiel rubbed the pad of his thumb against his fingertips. "Thank you." He said before looking up to Dean. He nodded and vanished from the room with a flutter of wings. Sam took the spell book from her and tucked it under his arm. A moment later, there was another soft rustling of wings as Castiel reappeared with Chuck in tow. Chuck was wearing a comfortable looking dark green polo shirt with a grey sweater over it and a pair of faded jeans. He blinked and looked from Castiel to the others in confusion. He opened his mouth to speak then stopped and glanced again to Castiel, tapping his throat.

Castiel placed two fingers against the prophet's neck, and Chuck gasped. "Ah… my voice, how I've missed you!" He said with a grin. "What seems to be the trouble, guys… and girls… and… you." He arched a brow looking at Kelly then around the room. "Where exactly are we?"

Kelly's eyes widened. "It's you!"

Ella rolled her eyes. "Oh, she's just the crazy fan who kidnapped Cas. But I'm sure you knew about that, am I right?"

Chuck looked a little sheepish then nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… I had a vision about it the other day. I just finished writing it. Sorry, Castiel."

Castiel shook his head. "That is not necessary. What is written will happen. I understand."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "I'll bet you saw Judith be kidnapped, too, didn't you Chuck?" He snapped.

Chuck chewed on his lower lip and lowered his eyes, but did not speak. Ella placed a hand on Sam's chest, attempting to gently stop him from violently ripping Chuck's head off. "We all want answers, okay, Sam, just chill," She turned to Chuck. "Did Zach keep you voiceless for all that time so we would be kept in the dark about all this?"

"Who cares!" Dean threw his arms up. "There's this thing called texting... or email. I mean, seriously, you could have friggen Tweeted the info for all I care. Anything to give us a heads up about life changing stuff."

Sam stopped, but was breathing hard and his fists were tightly clenched by his sides. Oshea remained where she was on the side of the bed for a moment before she stood up and slowly walked over to Chuck. "Chuck... did you know about my baby?" She whispered.

Chuck rubbed his arm, keeping his eyes down as he shifted his weight. Oshea swallowed hard, her eyes were glistening as she tried to keep from crying. "Chuck... look at me. Did you know about my baby?"

Chuck looked up at her and sighed. "Oshea... I couldn't.. I... they were watching me, they told me I couldn't te-"

Oshea lifted a hand and slapped him across the face before stepping out of the room. Dean sighed as he looked after Oshea. He gave Ella a nod and she got the hint, walking from the room and following after her sister. He turned back to Chuck. "So when were you gonna tell us you started using our lives for other people's amusement again?"

Chuck touched his cheek and looked toward the door, watching as Ella left. "I... I have to make a living somehow, Dean... I can't do credit card scams like you... and I can't get a real job. Not with the visions and the angels and all that... All I have is my writing."

"Yeah well, listen to the people holding the guns, and stop publishing the books. There's enough crazy out there," He glanced over at Kelly, who had sat down on the bed and stared at them intently while they talked. "Without you putting every little detail of our personal lives out there for people to read. And," He added. "Screw Zachariah. Screw the angels, the demons. Whoever is keeping you quiet. If there's something big gonna happen, we want to know about it. Got it?"

Chuck sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "Fine... fine, I won't publish anymore. I'll figure something out, I guess."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "And if we find out that you're publishing AGAIN or keeping things from us. We will find you..."

Dean nodded. "Yeah. And before we leave, got anything else you've been itching to tell us? Is the world gonna end next week? Are girls across the nation gonna come to the realization that pale sparkly guys that watch you sleep are creepy? Or maybe Sam starts growing lady parts. Anything at all that you've written that may help us out in a crucial moment of not dying?"

Sam shot Dean a look, and Chuck gave a nervous chuckle. "Uh... well... Dean gets a speeding ticket on the way out of town... oh, and I saw something about Castiel eating burgers... lots of them. And... Dean hugged some kind of naked chubby guy..."

Castiel's brows furrowed and Sam arched a brow, looking at Dean with a little smirk. Chuck just shrugged. "Not sure what all of that was about, but you wanted to know everything."

"Okay... well, you give us a call if you see anything else. I mean it," Dean said with a serious nod.

After Castiel had sent Chuck back home, they had taken all of the recent Supernatural books off Kelly's shelf, and then warned the fan girl that if she started anymore trouble, they had guns, and they'd find her. Needless to say, she quickly nodded and agreed not to kidnap anyone else.

And as for Dean, on the way out of town, sure enough, he got a big fat speeding ticket.

"Stupid Prophet.." Dean grumbled as the police car drove away from them, and he tossed the piece of paper into the floorboard.

"So, Sam filled me in on what Chuck said while Oshea and I were out of the room. Something about Cas and burgers and... you and some naked guy... anything you wanna tell us, Dean?" Ella smirked.

"Shut up."


	51. Hell On Wheels

**_A/N: Hey, for those loyal readers out there who'd like to check out videos for this story, Lauren and I make 'em!  
My YT account is deenawinchester, and Lauren's is leuchtkafer1.  
So check out our story vids, and any others if you'd like. I recently made a promo for Ella and Oshea, which you can find below. I'm really proud of it :)  
/watch?v=53Elfg1U0FI _**

**_Okay, so enjoy the next few chapters. I plan on uploading a bunch this weekend._**

**_

* * *

_**

WINCHESTER, TENNESSEE

After hours of driving, they had pulled into a small motel at the edge of the city of Winchester. Oshea had been quiet the entire drive and when they arrived, she had immediately climbed into one of the beds and went to sleep. Sam stayed up for a while, researching on his laptop about the case Bobby had called them about as they were leaving Colorado. Something about a vengeful spirit that needed toasting, nothing major. Though after what had happened with Oshea, they were not taking any chances. They had all decided to start the major work the next day and after a couple of hours of sitting in front of his laptop, Sam crawled into bed with Ella.

The next morning, Dean woke up bright and early, something he usually didn't do, at least not of his own free will. It was usually Sam who took it upon himself to wake Dean up in the early hours of the morning, which Dean didn't appreciate very much. But this morning, Dean's growling stomach was the one to wake him. He got out of bed and quickly dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a black shirt, and a red button up shirt that he left unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up a bit. After sitting on the edge of the bed and putting his boots on, he looked behind him at Oshea for a moment before touching her shoulder a little. "Hey."

Oshea stirred a little and groaned, turning over in the bed to look up at him sleepily. Lifting a hand, she rubbed her eyes and pushed herself on her elbows before looking at the clock. A brow arched and she looked up at Dean again. "Are you sick? Or... possessed? Or... a shifter or something? You never get up this early."

"Well.. I'm hungry," Dean said with a sheepish smile. "Thought I'd grab us all some breakfast. You wanna come?"

Oshea smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah... yeah, I'd like that." She rubbed her eyes again and yawned as she climbed out of bed and dug around through her duffel bag. She pulled on a dark green sweater and some snug jeans, tied back her hair and walked back to him. "Okay. Let's go."

The nearest diner, JC's Butcher Block, was about half an hour away from the motel they were staying at. As unappealing as the name was, the inside was pretty decent, and the food was actually not half bad. They grabbed something to-go for Sam and Ella, and then ordered something for themselves and found a booth to sit in. Oshea sipped at her coffee and sat it back down on the surface of the table, drumming the tips of her fingernails against the sides of the mug. After the waitress brought them their food, Dean stared down at his plate a moment, ready to eat. He sighed and pushed it aside a little bit and looked up at Oshea, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck nervously.

Oshea looked down at her food and was about to start eating when she noticed Dean edge his food away. Her brows furrowed and she lowered her utensils. "Dean… is everything okay?"

"Not really," He said with a sigh as he looked away. "I suck at these kinds of talks... you probably know that by now... But it hasn't been just the two of us alone talking, without the aid of alcohol, for a good while.. so.." He looked back to her. "I guess we kinda need to talk."

"You're right...," Oshea lowered her eyes and nodded slowly. "You do suck at this," She whispered, lifting her eyes to meet his.

Dean rolled his eyes and made a face. "Thanks. That's very helpful."

She sighed and looked down again. "I'm sorry, Dean... I just I know where this is going to go, and I'm not sure I want to go there. I just want to pretend it all didn't happen. That I didn't screw everything up... that I didn't kill people and steal their souls... that I wasn't a demon... that...," She swallowed hard, her voice breaking a little. "That I wasn't even strong enough to keep our baby alive..."

"That wasn't your fault and you know it," Dean said immediately, his tone turning serious. "And as for the rest of the stuff, I tried for the longest time trying to pretend all of that never happened. But it did, and it's not going to just go away."

Oshea leaned back against the seat, dropping her hands into her lap. "What do you want me to say, Dean? I don't know what happened... I don't know how it went as far as it did." She sighed. "It started out just... you were gone and I was trying to get stronger... I wanted to be able to protect people... to save them. I didn't want to lose someone else that I loved. I lost my brother, you, I had to watch my sister die... it was easier for her. She had Sam... I... I didn't have anyone..."

"I know. What I meant was..." He sighed. "All of that.. it's already happened. We can't change it. But... what we can do is decide what's going to happen now."

Oshea was quiet a moment then looked down at her hands. "I think it's pretty clear how I feel... what I want to happen. I never stopped caring about you... What do you want, Dean?" She asked very softly, looking up at him. "I'll completely understand if you want me to go... and I don't want you to feel like you have to stick around because of what happened with the baby..."

"If it were anyone else, I'd just tell you to hit the road. That you're not worth the trouble, that I give up. But you're not anyone else, Oshea... you're.. you're family now. And I don't give up on family," He said with a little smile.

Oshea looked up at him and smiled. "I'm so glad to hear you say that..." She looked down at the table. "Now, let's eat before our breakfast gets cold." She said, picking up her fork.

After they ate, they decided to waste a little time before heading back to the motel. It had been a while since they had hung out, just the two of them, like they used to do, so they drove around town a little, talking and bickering over which radio station they would listen to. It felt like things were getting back to normal between them. "So, when you said family," Oshea said, glancing to Dean as they were driving back toward the hotel. "You don't meant that you think of me as being a sister right? You and I can still... you know... "

"I definitely _do not_ think of you as a sister," Dean said, looking over at her with an arched brow. He smirked a little.

Oshea grinned back at him and leaned over in the seat, pressing her lips against his cheek. "Good." She whispered into his ear before trailing her lips down to his neck and kissing him again. There was suddenly a strange popping noise then the car began to jerk and sputter. Oshea pulled back a little and arched a brow. "Is… something wrong with the Impala?"

Dean's attention immediately turned to the strange noises coming from the Impala. His eyes widened and he pulled the car over to the side of the road, and it finally came to a stop. He tried to start it up again, but it wouldn't budge. He cursed and smacked his hands against the steering wheel before letting his head fall face down on the middle of it. The horn blared loudly for several moments before he finally got up and opened the front of the vehicle.


	52. I'm In Love With My Car

Oshea sighed as she cradled the cell phone to her ear. "We're having to have it towed." she said, looking over at Dean, who was talking very heatedly with the tow truck driver. She winced as she saw Dean fling his hands up and gesture toward the Impala. "Yeah, he's not taking it very well."

"I would imagine not, that car is his baby. He loves the car more than anyone or anything. That includes me." Sam said.

"Yeah, well... I'm not sure how long this is going to take, but I'll keep you posted okay?"

Sam nodded. "Sounds good. Just try to keep him from killing someone, okay?" He hung up the phone and shook his head. "Something happened to the Impala." He explained, looking over to Ella.

"Is she okay?" Ella asked with a chuckle. Over the years she had gotten accustomed to the Impala, and like Dean, loved it at first sight. Though, no one loved that car more than Dean.

"They don't know, they're having to have it towed." Sam said. His phone beeped and he looked down at it, frowning as he saw the battery was almost completely dead. He laid it on the surface of the table and plugged it in. "They're not sure how long it's going to take... but we need to get this spirit toasted before it kills someone else."

"Agreed," Ella said with a nod. "Lemme go get changed into something more suited for grave desecrating, and we can go."

Sam nodded and closed his laptop, hesitating slightly. The last time they had underestimated a spirit, Oshea wound up in the hospital. This was different, though. They were going to be extra careful and take all of the necessary precautions. Once Ella was ready, he glanced at his phone, but decided to leave it. It wouldn't do him any good if it died on the drive to the cemetery anyway.

When they arrived at the cemetery, Ella hopped out of the car and grabbed the two shovels out of the trunk, handing one of them to Sam. "I'm so glad I finally get to do some digging and more corpse torching," Ella said with an excited smile. "You and Dean wouldn't let me do anything when I was preggerz."

"I'm just worried about Dean," Sam said, walking with her to the grave. "And what he's going to say when he finds out that we left to do this on our own."

"Oh he'll get over it," She said as she started to dig, glancing around them for a moment to make sure no one was around. "Besides, we're probably the last thing on his mind since his dear Impala is wounded. We'll just finish this up here, quickly explain to him we wrapped the case up, stuff him with pie and he'll be good as new."

"It just doesn't make sense," Sam said as they tossed the clumps of dirt and grass over their shoulders. "Dean takes care of that care like it was a baby. He changes its oil on time, tunes it up, gets new parts for it every now and then... how could something have happened to it?"

Ella's brows furrowed as she paused digging for a moment. "You're right. That doesn't make any sense.." She shrugged it off and continued digging until they had reached the grave. She tossed her shovel aside. "I left the salt and lighter over by that other tombstone. Be a dear and get them for me.. you handsome strong man you." She leaned down and started to pull open the lid of the casket.

Sam grinned. "As you wish." He said, leaning over to kiss her lips lightly before he tossed out the shovel and climbed up from the deep hole they had dug. He brushed a bit of the dirt off of himself and walked toward the tombstone she indicated, grabbing the bag of salt and the lighter.

Just as he had grabbed them, he felt the items fly out of his hands as he was suddenly and violently pulled backwards. The lighter and salt soared, and fell directly into the grave, knocking Ella in the head as she was fumbling with the casket lid.

"Ow! What the hell, Sam! You just throwing stuff at me now?" She complained loudly from inside the hole.

Sam grunted as he was forced backwards; the upper curve of one of the tombstones hit him in the back of the knees, causing him to fall over. He dropped into a sitting position and reached for his gun that he had dropped when he fell. "Ella, it's not me!"

Ella let out a squeak of alarm. "Crap! I'm hurrying!"

The spirit of the young girl in a little blue dress appeared and stood a few feet in front of him. Her small form flickered and suddenly she was standing over him, and she reached out her hand, pressing it to his chest. Sam started to scramble backward, but as soon as her hand touched his chest, he found himself unable to move. It was suddenly difficult to breathe, and he shuddered as he gasped shallowly, trying to draw in another breath. Spots began to swim before his eyes, and he felt lightheaded. "E-E…lla…"

The girl stared directly at him for a moment before flinging him away from her, and disappearing.

Ella climbed out of the grave, dark smoke now rising from the open coffin. She rushed over to Sam, kneeling down where he had fallen. "You okay?"

Sam gulped in a deep breath, coughing roughly from where he had fallen. A little blood was running down his forehead from where he had hit another tombstone when the ghost flung him away. He blinked, trying to clear his head. "Yeah… yeah, I'm fine." He said, his voice a little hoarse. "Fine…" He pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Think I might have a little concussion though." Lifting a hand he touched the side of his head with a groan.

"You'll be fine," Ella said, putting one of her arms around Sam as she helped him up off the ground. "Let's just clean this mess up and back to the motel."

"Dean, when you take a car to a mechanic, it's not so you can use their tools to fix the car. It's so they can fix it for you," Oshea reminded Dean as she rubbed his arm gently.

"I know, I know..." Dean said with a frustrated sigh. "I just don't like people touching my car."

"They're not going to hurt her, Dean." She said, taking his hand and leading him away from the garage. "Come on, why don't we walk around a little? There's a diner down the street, we can get some pie. Or I saw a bar not far from here, we can go hustle up some pool... play poker... I think there's an arcade, too. I can kick your butt at air hockey... they'll call us when they're done."

"Yeah, okay," He muttered grumpily. "Let's see who kicks who's butt at air hockey," He said, a little bit of a smile creeping up on his lips.

_xx_

A few hours later, Oshea and Dean pulled up into the motel's parking lot, the Impala good as new. Not long after they had gone to the arcade, the mechanic had called them, claiming the car had just started working again, and that apparently nothing was wrong with it. Neither Dean nor Oshea understood how that happened, but Dean didn't really care. He had his precious car back, and he had Oshea, who had just beaten Dean at air hockey several games in a row. He had a good day.

As they drove back to the hotel, Oshea glanced over at him a small smile spreading across her face. "So, Dean… was this a date?"

"What?" He said quickly. "No, of course not," He scoffed a little. "What gave you that ide- okay, maybe. Probably. Shut up," He rolled his eyes.

Oshea's smile broadened and she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Dean. I had a great time... I needed that." She climbed out of the car and started into the motel room. When she opened the door, her eyes widened a little as she saw Sam, who was holding a rag filled with ice to his head. "What happened to you?"

"He got beat up by a little girl," Ella called out from inside the bathroom.

"It was a spirit," Sam grumbled, lowering the rag of ice from his forehead. There was a little dried blood on his skin.

Oshea's eyes widened. "A spirit? The spirit came here?"

Sam glanced up at Dean as he walked in then cleared his throat. "How's the Impala?" He said, changing the subject.

"Fine. Now what's this I hear about you getting beat up by a little girl?" He arched a brow.

Ella stepped out of the bathroom, changed out of her dirt stained clothing into a pair of dark jeans and a black tank top. "Yeah, we got rid of that spirit while you guys were out dealing with the car. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal was you guys could have used our help," Dean snapped back.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Well the spirit is gone, not killing anyone else, so I'd say we did a fair job."

"Still-" Dean started.

"And for your information I was working cases by myself before I even met the two of you, the same with you and Sam. So just.. ugh!" She threw her arms up and turned around, grabbing her jacket off the bed. "Come on," She pulled Oshea with her towards the door.

"Uh where are we going?"

"To get drunk," Ella replied.


	53. Spoilin' For A Night

Oshea waved her hand in front of her face, warding off a cloud of smoke that had just been expelled by one of the bar's patrons as she and her elder sister walked to the bar and sat down on a couple of rounded benches. A few moments later, their beers were sat in front of them by a semi-attractive bartender who winked at them before going on his way. "So, Ells," Oshea whispered as she took a sip of her drink. "How is married life treating you?"

Ella took a sip of hers too. "Can't complain," She said with a shrug and took another sip. "Okay, I'm gonna need something stronger than this. Hey! Bartender!" She waved her hand over at him. He slid her over a shot glass, and she threw her head back, drinking it. She sat the glass back on the table. "Much better," She said with a smile and then turned back to her sister. "I honestly never thought it would happen. I never pictured myself the married type. But here I am."

"Yeah, I don't think the whole marriage thing is my cup of tea, " Oshea said with a shake of her head. She took a sip of her drink before asking hesitantly. "Ella... how do you do it? How do you keep going now that your... Judith is gone? Every time I think about what happened with mine... I ... I blame myself..."

"What happened with you wasn't your fault. You got tossed around by a spirit. Unless you've suddenly become psychic and knew it was going to happen, the last person you should be blaming is yourself," She said, waving to the bartender to bring them more drinks. "As for me... it's not easy. Knowing I have a kid there that's being held captive by demons. But I deal.."

"There are times I miss the days when I saw the future," Oshea said, taking a long drink of her beer. As she emptied the bottle, she sat it down and grimaced a little, swallowing down the burning liquid. "At least Judith is still alive, right?" She said with a shrug, starting on her second bottle. "They wouldn't have kidnapped her just to kill her. We'll find her."

As the bartender slid two more shot glasses in their direction, Ella nodded. "Yeah, that's what I keep saying. But I'm not too sure anymore..." She sighed and drank. "Change of subject please?"

Half an hour and several shot glasses later, Ella slammed the glass down on the bar and pointed at the bartender. "You know what I hate?" She threw her arms up in exasperation without waiting for an answer. "You guys! Boys! They're just.. stupid!" She burped and turned to Oshea. "I'm stuck in a room with them every single day, and I just had to get out of there, ya know? They bicker like a married couple which is weird cause _I'm _his wife!" She looked back at the bartender and nodded, waving her hand in the air to show her ring. "That's right! I'm married! Don't get any ideas buddy!"

Oshea giggled and downed another shot, swaying a little on the stool. She leaned her head against Ella's shoulder and covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a small hiccup. "It's true! So true! And that car! My god, you should have seen him! He kept trying to take the tools away from the mechanics to fix it himself. It was like watching a two year old not wanting to share his toys. It was kind of cute though." She looked up at the bar tender and held up one of her many shot glasses and wiggled it. "Top me off?" The bartender smiled a little and took it from her, shaking his head.

"No, I think you've both had enough."

Ella gaped at him. "Excuse me? Who do you think you are, the drink police?" She hiccupped. "I would like to see your manager... sir!"

The bar tender arched a brow and leaned his elbows on the surface of the bar. "You're lookin' at 'im, sweetstuff."

Oshea gave him a little shove on the shoulder. "She's married! Don't talk to her like that!"

"I'm gonna go get my husband and bring him back here to kick your butt!" She said, pointing a finger at him as she stood up from the stool, almost falling over in the process. "Come on, Oshea." She grabbed her sisters arm and pulled her along. She stopped and turned back to the bar. "And he's TALL! Like..." She lifted her hand up in the air and waved it a little above her head. "Real tall. So you better-" Her sentence was cut off as she suddenly felt like she was going to throw up. "Oh I think I'm gonna be sick," She groaned quietly, holding a hand to her lips.

"And I'll bring mine too!" She paused, swaying as her sister dragged her along. "Well, he's not my husband, we're not married. He's my boyfrie- well... actually, we've never used those terms. I don't know if he'd like that... my DEAN! YEAH! I'll bring my Dean down here and he'll kick your butt five ways to Monday... he's ...well... he's not as tall as her husband, he's short. But he can still kick your tail!" Oshea shouted, pointing her finger at him then curling her fingers into a fist and shaking it at the bar tender. When Ella acted as if she were gonna be sick, Oshea wrinkled her brows. "We should get back to the hotel."

"Yeah," Ella agreed.

_xx_

After stumbling back to the motel, which was, fortunately for them, only five minutes away from the bar, Ella knocked loudly on the door of their room "Open up dudes!"

Sam opened up the door and arched a brow as the two stumbled in. "Ella? Oshea?"

Oshea giggled, "Guess who's drunk?" She said as she walked over to the bed where she and Dean slept. She went to the end of it and fell onto the bed, burying her face in her pillow.

Dean arched a brow as Oshea plopped onto the bed and he looked up at Ella. "You got her drunk?"

"No!" Ella yelled, walking through the door. "Okay, yeah, maybe a little bit," She smiled.

Sam closed the door behind them and arched a brow at Ella. "You okay, Ells?"

Ella frowned a moment before leaning over and puking all over her husband's shoes. "Ugh, I'm going to bed," She groaned quietly and walked over to her bed, falling face forward onto the mattress and falling asleep immediately.


	54. If I Fell

Sam finally walked out of the bathroom carrying his freshly scrubbed, damp shoes. He walked quietly over to the bed where Ella was sleeping and snoring, and sat down on the edge of it, doubling over to rest the shoes on the floor to dry. Straightening, he looked over at Ella and smiled before turning his attention to the bed Dean and Oshea shared. Oshea was curled up close to Dean, and he had casually flung one arm over her. Things were finally starting to go back to normal, and Sam couldn't be happier. He was just about to climb into the bed beside of Ella, when he heard his phone beeping, indicating that it was finished charging. He walked to the table and unplugged it, sitting down in the chair when he saw that he had a voice mail. After pressing a few buttons, he held the phone to his ear.

"Sam, this is Chuck Shurley!... why did I just say my last name? That's weird.. anyway! Listen, I just had a vision and I know that you and Ella wanna wrap things up, but don't go into the-... who am I kidding. Just call me. I know that you left your phone and you won't get this message until it's too late anyway."

Sam's brows furrowed and he dialed the prophet's number. It barely rang once before he answered. "Right on time."

"You knew I was-"

"Hello... prophet?"

"Right.. sorry. So what was the voicemail about? What's going on, Chuck?"

"Sam... the spirit that you were going after is the carrier of this major ghostly disease. When she touched you, she gave the disease to you."

"Well that explains why I felt so weird... so.. what is this disease? Is it anything like that one that Dean caught where he was scared of everything? That was kind of fu-"

"Sam, focus! This is really serious. This is nothing like that. Sam, you're going to die."

Sam froze, feeling as if his heart had stopped. "I... I'm.."

"I'm sorry, Sam."

"So... uh... what... what's going to happen to me?"

"It's going to be a slow process... you'll start getting weak and tired... it's going to get harder for you to breathe, almost like you have asthma... you'll probably start coughing blood... maybe fevers... think of it like... like a kind of supernatural cancer..."

Sam already felt like he couldn't breathe. He looked over to Ella and swallowed hard, feeling a lump gathering in his throat. "I... come on, Chuck, there.. there has to be something I can do. I have Ella... Judith... I haven't found Judith... I..." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "How long do I have...?"

"Maybe a year? And that's not even the worst part," Chuck said softly.

"Oh great... more good news..."

"You're going to Hell, Sam."

"What...?"

"That's part of it... the spirit infects people and marks their souls for Hell after the disease kills them. I can't remember why, it's something to do with revenge and all that..." After a moment of silence, Chuck spoke up again. "Are you okay, Sam...? Sam...?"

Sam hung up the phone without another word.

_xx_

Ella awoke the next morning with a throbbing headache and the urge to vomit. She groaned as she sat up in bed and looked over at Sam, who was across the room at the table staring intently at his laptop screen.

Dean stepped out of the bathroom, brushing his teeth. He stopped and smirked at Ella, pulling the toothbrush out of his mouth for a moment. "Good morning!" He said loudly.

"Arghh," She covered her ears, wincing a little. "Not good morning. Bad morning. Very very bad morning."

Oshea winced and pushed the ends of the pillow over her ears as Dean shouted to them. "Ella, I hate you." She said with a groan as she turned over and pushed her head beneath the pillow, holding down the sides. Sam did not acknowledge any of them, he merely stared away at his computer screen, tapping a few keys and clicking every now and then. He looked like he hadn't slept.

"I feel like I was hit by a truck," Ella complained as she dragged herself out of bed and pushed passed Dean, stealing the bathroom from him.

As the door closed, Dean glanced at Sam. "You look even worse than Ella does. Did you sleep any?"

Sam glanced up, rubbing his eyes a little then shook his head. "Uh... no, not really. I was doing some research." He said quietly.

Dean arched a brow. "Okay... on what?" He started to walk over to him.

"Nothing important," Sam said quickly, shutting the laptop before Dean could see what was on the screen. "Um...Bobby called yesterday, right? While the girls were off getting drunk. Where did he say we needed to go next?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, uh.. Minnesota. Suicide rate has skyrocketed lately along with a bunch of other weirdness... Two people, wait for it... eating each other alive. On a date."

Sam arched a brow. "Eating each other? Yeah, sounds like our kind of gig. Should we go then?" He asked, packing away his laptop.

"Yeah, we've got a long drive ahead of us, we should leave soon... Let's just wait a few hours though? So they," He nodded over to Oshea. "Are a little less hungover. I'm not having anyone vomit in my car."

"Oh my god, please don't mention eating," Oshea said from beneath the pillow. Sam forced a little smile and nodded.

"Probably best after what happened to my shoes."


	55. One Piece At A Time

_ST. JAMES, MINNESOTA_

When they arrived in town, Dean and Oshea decided to check out the bodies, or what was left of, the two people who had eaten each other, while Sam and Ella visited the girl's house and talked to her friend.

"So how'd it go?" Dean asked, his feet propped up on the table as Sam and Ella stepped into the motel room.

"No EMF, no sulfur... ghost possession, demonic possession, both probably out of the question," Ella shook her head and sipped at the milkshake she had gotten on their way back, and walked over to one of the beds, sitting down.

"Huh. That's where I was putting my money," Dean said.

"How was the trip to the morgue?" Sam asked as he shed his suit jacket.

Oshea grimaced, looking a little pale. "Don't bring it up. Ever… again. That was the most disgusting… oh I thought I was going to be sick."

Dean nodded in agreement. "They just started eating... and, and they just kept going. I mean, their stomachs were full. Like Thanksgiving dinner full. Talk about codependent."

"Ew," Ella frowned.

Oshea shuddered and shook her head. "I'll probably never eat again."

"Well... we've got our feelers out, not much more we can do tonight," Sam said as he sat down at the table and unpacked his laptop from its case. "I'm just going to go through some files... maybe call Bobby..."

_xx_

A few hours later, Dean's phone rang while he was outside by the vending machines getting a drink. He stepped back inside the motel room just as he was getting off the phone. "That was the coroner calling from the hospital," He said as he flipped the phone closed and dug through his duffle bag for his suit. "He just tagged another double suicide. Told him we'd stop by." He looked over at Sam who didn't seem to even notice he was in the room. His attention was completely directed towards the laptop in front of him.

Dean snapped his fingers in his brothers face. "Earth to Sammy. Hello!"

Sam blinked and shook his head a little, "What? Oh… yeah… sorry. Um… you guys go ahead, I'm going to stay here and do some more research and make a couple of calls."

Oshea stood up from the bed and laid down the book she had been flipping through. "Alright, so long as its not more people eating one another."

"Wimp," Ella teased.

The three got dressed and headed for the hospital. As they were walking down the hallway headed for the morgue, a tall, nearly bald man dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase, walked passed them, staring straight ahead. As the man passed by, Oshea stiffened and furrowed her brows as she looked back at the bald man. She felt strangely hungry and chewed on her lower lip, turning back to face forward. She looked over her shoulder again. "Hey," Dean nudged Oshea. "You okay?"

Oshea nodded slowly, "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine."

Dean watched her a moment before nodding, and they continued down the hall.

_xx_

"Come on, Bobby, pick up… pick up, pick up." Sam said quietly as he ran his hand through his hair. As soon as the others had left for the hospital, he had closed up the laptop and pulled out his cell phone, instantly dialing the elder hunter's number. If anyone could help him figure things out, Bobby could.

"Yeah?" A gruff voice on the other end of the line answered.

"Bobby, it's Sam. Uh... Bobby... I'm in some trouble," He said quietly, it was evident by his voice that he was freaking out.

Bobby sighed. "What did you boys get yourself into this time? I would take a guess, but when it comes to you all it could be anything."

"There was this spirit," Sam began, speaking quickly. "Dean and I and the girls were on the Winchester, Tennessee case, and something happened to the Impala while Dean and Oshea were out together and Ella and I thought we could handle the case ourselves so we went to the cemetery, but the ghost attacked us and it touched me, and... then I got home and Chuck had called..." He sighed heavily. "Bobby... The spirit was a carrier for some kind of... disease... I... Bobby, I'm dying..."

"Disease?" Bobby repeated. "What the hell you talking about, boy? You mean like what Dean had?"

"Yes... no, kind of." Sam stood up from the table and rubbed his eyes. "Chuck described it as some kind of supernatural cancer. It's just... going to eat away at me until it kills me. And then it's going to send me to Hell."

Bobby cursed and leaned back into the chair he was sitting in. "I'll make some phone calls, do some digging around. There could be a way out of this, so don't give up just yet," He sighed. "You.. you have told Dean and Ella right?"

Sam hesitated. "Not yet... I don't know how to tell them. Dean's going to be furious at me... and Ella... she has enough to worry about with Judith still missing..."

"So you're just going to spare yourself the pain of telling them, and just wait til you randomly drop dead for them to find out?" Bobby snapped.

Sam was quiet a moment. "I'm really hoping that Chuck was wrong and that there's some kind of cure or ritual I can do so I won't have to tell them..."

"They deserve to know, Sam. They could help. You can't keep something like this a secret," Bobby sighed. "You all keeping secrets from each other, that's never worked out in the past and you know it. Dean may forgive you for being an idgit and not telling him, but when your wife finds out you're keeping a secret that big from her, she's not gonna be happy."

Sam sighed heavily and sank down into the chair again. "You're right... I'll tell them when they get back." he said quietly.

"You better," Bobby grumbled.


	56. Skidmarks On My Heart

Dean looked down at the bloodied heart in the plastic container with disgust for a moment, before pushing it across the table to Oshea. "Be my Valentine?" He smiled.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Real smooth. And it's not even Valentines Day."

"Whatever.." Dean mumbled, pulling the container back.

"It's the thought that counts," Oshea grinned and gave Dean a playful little shove against his shoulder before looking down through the magnifying glass down at the heart in the container in front of her. "Hey, guys, look at this. There're engravings on the hearts."

Ella leaned over and her brows furrowed. "You're right, they're both identical. What do you think it is? It looks like some kind of letter... Oh no.."

"What?" Dean asked.

Ella moved the magnifying glass away. "I think it's Enochian."

"You mean like angel scratches?"

Ella nodded. "Looks that way."

Dean sighed and pulled off his gloves and stepped away from the table, pulling out his cell phone. "Cas, it's Dean," He said, after pressing a few buttons. "Yeah, room 31C, basement level, St. James Medical Center-"

There was suddenly a fluttering of wings and Castiel appeared directly in front of Dean, holding his phone to his ear. "I'm there now..."

Dean stared at him. "Yeah I get that."

Castiel stared at him a moment and nodded. "I'm going to... hang up now..."

"Right."

Oshea looked over at him with a smile. "Hi, Cas. We found something weird on these hearts." Castiel walked over to the table where the hearts were and casually plucked one from the plastic container, blood staining his hand. His brows furrowed as he looked at them. "You're right, these are angelic markings. I imagine you'll find similar marks on the other couples' hearts as well."

Oshea's brows furrowed. "So.. what are they? What do they mean?"

"It's a mark of union. These two were intended to mate."

"Okay but who put them there?" Dean asked.

"Your people call them a cupid," Castiel said, flicking blood from his fingers.

Oshea blinked. "A what?"

"What human myth has mistaken for cupid is actually a lower class of angel. Technically it's a cherub, third class. "

"Cherub?" Dean asked, raising his eyebrows. "You mean the little fat kid in diapers?" Both Ella and Castiel looked at him.

"There are dozens of them all over the world...," Castiel's brows furrowed a little."But they're not incontinent..."

"Anyway," Oshea said. "What you're saying is-"

"What I'm saying is a cupid has gone rogue and we have to stop him before he kills again."

"Naturally," Oshea said with a shake of her head.

"Of course we do," Dean said, nodding his head and pursing his lips a bit.

_xx_

The waitress dropped off steaming plates of food, laying them on the surface of the table in front of the group. Castiel's was the only place where there was no food. Oshea took her utensils and started to eat her burger. Castiel looked between her plate and Dean's.

Dean fiddled with his plate for a moment. "So, what, you just happen to know he likes the cosmos at this place?" He picked up the bottle of ketchup and started to put it on his burger.

"This place is a nexus of human reproduction," Castiel said, looking around the restaurant. "This is just the type of..." He stared as Oshea took a bite of her burger and Dean layered on ketchup. "Of garden the cupid will come to pollinate." Dean picked up his burger with both hands, looking it over a moment before putting it back down and pushing the plate aside.

Oshea arched a brow and glanced over at Sam across the table. They had gotten him from the hotel before going out to get something to eat. Sam blinked in surprise. "What...? You're not hungry?"

"No.." He said and then looked from Sam to Oshea to Ella. "What, I'm not hungry!"

"So you're not going to finish that?" Castiel said, looking from the burger to Dean.

Dean gave Castiel a funny look as he reached across the table and grabbed his plate without waiting for an answer. Castiel lifted the burger and stared to take a bite, but stopped as there was a soft rushing of wind. "He's here... there." He said, nodding to a couple who were sitting together on the same side of the booth.

"Same side of the booth couple over there?" Dean asked as they all glanced over.

"Yes... I'll meet you in the back." He said before vanishing. Oshea looked over to where he had been sitting and jumped a little.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that." She said with a shake of her head as they all stood up to follow Castiel to the back of the building.


	57. Too Much Love Will Kill You

"Cas, where is he?" Ella asked as the four of them walked into the room.

Castiel stood in the back with one hand outstretched, his fingers spread out. "I have him tethered." He began to chant in Enochian. "Manifest yourself." He lowered his hand and turned to face the others, who were looking around.

Oshea lifted her hands then let them fall to her sides. "Where is heeeeeeEEEE!" She squeaked as thick bare arms grabbed her from behind. A chubby and naked young man with light brown hair was standing behind her, embracing her from behind. He lifted her up and swayed back and forth with her squirming in his arms.

"Here I am!" He said with a giggle.

Oshea's eyes were wide. "Help!"

"Help is on the way! Yes it is! Yeees it is," The man laughed, leaning his head against hers.

Dean looked over to him and back to Castiel." This is cupid?"

Cupid dropped down Oshea and walked to Dean, grabbing him and pulling him into an embrace. She staggered a little, her eyes wide as she looked at the man. She immediately looked away, blushing when she saw that he was very much naked. Castiel nodded. "Yes."

Dean's eyes widened and he struggled to break free of Cupid's hug.

"Is this a fight? Are we in a fight?" Ella asked quickly, looking from Dean and Cupid back to Castiel.

Cupid dropped Dean and walked to Cas, grabbing him and giving him a big hug. "Brother!" He released him after a few moments and started toward Sam. "Hello you!"

Sam shook his head. "No no no no no!"

"Oh yes yes yes!" Cupid grabbed him and Sam gave a choked gasp.

"This... is their handshake," Castiel said slowly.

"I don't like it," Dean said quickly.

"No one likes it." Castiel agreed.

Cupid sat down Sam and his eyes widened as he looked to Ella. "My goodness! Sister!" His grin became a wide smile as he rushed to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. "It is so goodie good to see you!"

Ella's eyes were wide as he approached her and she let out a squeak of alarm as he pulled her into a hug, lifting her off the ground. "Help!"

Cupid sat her down then cupped her face in his hands and wrinkled his nose. "You're so cute, little sister!" He released her finally and looked around at the group. "What can I do for you?"

"Why are you doing this?" Castiel asked.

"Doing what?" Cupid tilted his head, the smile not leaving his face.

"Your targets, the ones you've marked, they're slaughtering each other," Castiel said, and Cupid's smile faded.

"What...? They are?"

"Listen, birthday suit," Dean said, standing back awkwardly and then nodding. "We know. Okay, we know you've been going around, popping people with your poison arrow making them murder each other."

The Cupid's eyes grew larger and moist as he lifted his hand and placed the tips of his fingers against his lips, his brows furrowing. "You think that I..." He sniffled and walked around Dean, burying his face in his palm as he started to sob softly. "I don't... I don't know what to say."

"Sh... should somebody maybe go.. talk to him?" Ella whispered, walking over next to Dean and Castiel.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Give 'em Hell, Cas," Dean nodded, putting his hand on Castiel's shoulder and giving him a little push.

Castiel stumbled forward a little then glanced back over his shoulder with a pleading expression before slowly turning back to Cupid. "We're uh... " He tentatively patted his back. "We didn't mean to upset you."

Cupid whirled around and pulled Castiel into a tight hug. "Love... love isn't just a word to me! I mean I love love! And if that's wrong then I don't want to be right!"

Castiel grunted and held his hands out, unsure of what to do. Awkwardly, he patted Cupid's back. "Yes, yes.. of course... I... I have no idea what you're saying."

"My job is only to mark them. What they do after that... that has nothing to do with me! I was just following orders!" Cupid pulled back, still holding to Castiel's shoulders. "Brother, please, read my mind! You'll see!"

Castiel hestiated as Cupid released him then narrowed his eyes faintly, looking into Cupid's. After a moment, he turned and looked at the others. "He's telling the truth."

Cupid's smile returned and he sighed. "Jiminy Christmas! Thank you!"

"Wait, wait," Dean said, stepping towards Cupid. "You just said you were just following orders. Who's orders?"

Cupid laughed. "Heaven's silly!"

"Why does Heaven care if Harry meets Sally?"

"Mostly they don't. You know, certain bloodlines, certain destinies. Like yours!" He said, gesturing to Sam and Dean. "The marriage of John and Mary Winchester, very big deal upstairs. Top priority arrangement."

Dean stared at him a moment. "Are you saying that you set up our parents?"

"Well not me personally, but yeah! You both had to be born. Just like your brother and my little sister. That was planned out, too. All very official and strict." He said with a grin, his face crinkling as he pretended to make a stern face. "Judith had to be born, the little scamp."

"What are you talking about?" Ella stepped forward, her arms crossed over her chest.

"The Winchesters... though, that was hard. Couldn't STAND each other had first, but when we were through with them? Perfect couple if you ever saw one! You and Sam, you were much more easy. All we had to do was make sure you both were in the right place at the right time." Cupid said with a grin. "We just had to give you a little push. You didn't ever wonder why you felt the sudden need to travel halfway around the globe just for one case?"

Anger surged through Ella for a moment and she swung her fist at the man, then immediately grabbed her own fist and turned around, gasping in pain from the impact. After a moment, she turned around. "Where did he go?"

Castiel sighed as he looked around. "I believe you upset him."

"Upset HIM?"

Sam stepped toward her. "Ella... you just punched a cupid."

"I punched a dick!" She snapped back.

"I think that's enough for today," Oshea said, patting her sister's shoulder. "We should get back to the hotel."

Sam nodded then frowned as his cell phone rang. He lifted it to his ear. "Hello? Oh... yes, doctor..." His brows furrowed as he looked over to Dean. "Alright, we'll be right there." He snapped the "I think I broke my hand," Ella looked down at her hand with a frown. "Damn Cupid."

Sam frowned and walked over to her, looking at her hand. "Well, we need to go to the hospital anyway to check out this new suicide. I'll take you, Ells."

Oshea nodded. "I'll go, too. I can look at the body while you're getting Ella's hand looked at."

"While you guys do that, I guess I'll head back to the motel, and you guys can head there when you're done. And Ella?" Dean said.

"What?"

"Well done on punching Cupid."


	58. Don't Lose Your Head

"You told me to call if another unusual case came up," The doctor said as he led Oshea into the room where the body laid, covered in a sheet. Oshea clasped her hands together at the small of her back as she moved to the side of the table. The doctor pulled aside the sheet and Oshea grimaced as she saw the man's bloated stomach. "I ran his records. This gentleman used to weight 400 pounds or so until a gastric bypass which brought down his weight considerably. Then for some reason, last night, he decided to go on a Twinkie binge."

Oshea cocked her head as she looked through the file the doctor passed to her. "And he died from a Twinkie binge?"

"Well, after he blew out the band around his stomach, he filled it until it burst. When he could no longer swallow he started jamming the cakes down his gullet with a toliet brush... like he was ramrodding a cannon."

Oshea rubbed her throat a little, grimacing. "So what do you make of it?"

"I think it was a very peculiar thing to do," The doctor said, pulling out a flask and taking a long gulp of it. Oshea nodded. "Uh... thank you, doctor... that's all I need." She said, stepping out into the hall. She had just pulled out her cellphone to call Dean when the bald man from before walked by. Her eyes widened as the scent of his blood crashed into her with such intensity that she gasped and nearly dropped the phone. She shoved the phone back into her pocket and broke into a jog down the hall after him.

Sam smiled to Ella as he sat down beside of her on the edge of the hospital's examining table. "How's the ha-" He saw something rush by the door. He blinked and stood up as a peculiar smell caught his attention. "Uh... Ella, I'll.. I'll be right back." He stood up and stepped into the hall just in time to run into Oshea. They met eyes before both turned and ran down the hall.

_xx_

Back at the motel, Dean was attempting to do some research on Sam's computer, dozing off several times in the process. His cell phone on the table started to ring loudly, and, after almost falling out of his chair from the sound waking him, he flipped it open and glanced at the name on the screen. "Hey, Bobby,"

"Hello, boy. Is Sam with you?" Bobby began. Dean could hear pages turning in the background.

"Nah, he's at the hospital checking out another body with Oshea while Ella gets her hand checked out," Dean replied, closing the laptop. "She uh, she punched Cupid."

"She did what?" Bobby said furrowing his brows. "Never mind. Just tell your brother that I've looked in all of my books, called all my contacts and uh... there's just nothing. Nothing at all. I'm really sorry..."

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked, standing up.

"Sam didn't tell you did he?" Bobby said with a little growl. He sighed. "He's dying, Dean. Apparently, that spirit he and Ella toasted was the carrier of some of kind of supernatural disease."

"He... wait... what? You mean that spirit back in Tennessee?"

"Yeah, it touched him and infected him. Chuck tried to warn him, but he was too late... and he called me to see if I could do a little digging on it. But, there's nothing..."

Dean cursed under his breath. "I knew he and Ella shouldn't have gone off by themselves!"

"It's not good, Dean. This disease was designed to make the victim suffer... and that's not the worst of it. The disease marks the victim's soul for hell." Bobby sighed. "He told me that he was going to tell you and Ella. I'm guessing he hasn't told her either. According to what Chuck said and the things I've read... he's got maybe a year."

Dean was silent for a moment. He didn't know what to say. Sam was going to die... "So... you can't find anything that would cure him?"

"No. The only thing that _might_ have fixed him is the spirit itself... but you guys toasted it." Bobby said quietly.

Dean cursed again, sending one of the chairs at the table crashing to the ground as he kicked it. "Thanks for letting me know, Bobby.."

"Sorry, son." Bobby said slowly. "And try not to be too hard on your brother. He's an idjit and he should have told you, but he's in a bad way as it is."

"Yeah... Oh, man," Dean said, suddenly realizing. "Ella... he hasn't even told Ella yet..."

"My point exactly... she's going to kill him." Bobby said, shaking his head. "Dean, I'm going to keep looking, okay? I know it looks bad, but I'll do everything I can."

"Okay," Dean said, and then hung up the phone.

_xx_

As the bald man rounded the corner in the alley, he was met with a knife. Oshea grabbed the front of his shirt and violently shoved him against the wall, pressing the dagger to his cheek and cutting a little before laying the serrated blade at his throat. "We know what you are… I could smell you…," She said lowly, leaning closer toward him. Sam had his gun lifted and trained on the man. The bald man growled.

"Blackwood and Winchester."

Oshea was about to speak again when the demon slammed his head against hers. She cried out and staggered backwards. The demon punched her and slammed the case against her. Sam fired his gun, hitting the demon in the chest. It stumbled back against the wall and Oshea drove the knife into his hand, causing him to drop the case. She went toward him again, and he back handed her before kicking her in the stomach. She dropped to the asphalt, and the demon broke away, leaving the case behind as he dashed down the alley.

"You okay?" Sam helped Oshea to her feet and walked to the case. "Wonder what this is…"

Oshea was panting softly as she looked down at the knife that was stained with blood. She started to lift it toward her lips, but Sam stopped her. He took the knife from her and shook his head. "No, Oshea… not again." Oshea sighed and nodded.

"I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me… I'll get the case." She walked over to the suitcase and picked it up. Sam looked down at the blood covered knife and found himself tempted to try the thick red liquid.

"Sam?"

It was all he could do to put the knife away. He followed Oshea out of the alley and they both went back to the hotel.


	59. Hamburger To Go

Not long after Dean had gotten off the phone with Bobby, Oshea and Sam burst in through the door. "What happened to you guys?" Dean asked, standing up as he noticed a couple of cuts and a bruise on the side of Oshea's face and the briefcase Sam was now holding.

"There was a demon at the hospital." Oshea said, touching her cheek with a frown. "He was carrying this case." She gestured toward Sam.

Sam walked to the table and sat down the case.

Dean walked over to the table. "What the hell's a demon go to do with a briefcase?" He asked, arching a brow.

"I have no idea," Sam said shaking his head. Oshea stood by the table rubbing her arm and looking a little distracted. She grimaced and rubbed her temple a little.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked, looking over to her.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be alright. Just a headache. Probably from getting smacked around by Mr. tall dark and hairless."

"Okay, let's just pop this thing open and see what this is all about," Dean said with a nod.

Sam nodded and they both moved to press the release buttons on the top of the case. When the case snapped open, a brilliant light shone from within. Sam blinked an lifted a hand to shield his eyes.

The light slowly faded and then disappeared. Dean turned back to the case and arched a brow. "What the hell was that?"

"That was a human soul." Castiel and Ella were suddenly standing behind them holding a white paper bag. Castiel pulled a burger from the bag and began to eat it. "This is all making sense now."

Ella was standing beside him, reaching her hand into a bag of white chocolate covered pretzels. Her other hand was wrapped in a cast. She brought a pretzel up to her mouth and nibbled on it, glaring at Sam and Oshea. "How does this make any sense? And when did you start eating?" Dean arched a brow and looked over at Ella. "What's her deal?"

"Exactly." He said, his eyes growing wide as he waved the half of a burger. "My hunger. It's a clue, actually," Castiel said around the bite of burger he had taken. He chewed then swallowed.

"For what?" They all said in unision, except for Ella, who was still stuffing her face with pretzels.

"This town isn't suffering from some love-gone-wrong effect. It's suffering from hunger. Starvation, to be exact. Specifically, Famine."

"Famine?" Ella's eyes widened. "Ash in the Horshmin Famine?" Ella asked, her words muffled as she spoke with a mouth full of pretzels.

"Great, that's friggen great," Dean mumbled.

"I thought Famine meant starvation, like, as in, you know, food." Oshea said, gesturing to the Big Frank's Burger Hut bag that Castiel held. Castiel nodded.

"Yes, absolutely. But not just food." He swallowed another large bite. "Everyone seems to be starving for something: Sex, attention, drugs, love..."

"That explains the puppy-lovers that Cupid shot up." Oshea said with a nod.

"Right. The cherub made them crave love then Famine came and made them rabid for it." When he finished, he took another huge bite of his burger.

"Okay, then what about you? Since when do angels secretly hunger for White Castle?" Dean looked at the white bag Castiel was holding and then back up at him. Ella nodded in agreement.

Castiel looked down at the burger and sighed. "It's my vessel. Jimmy. His appetite for red meat has been touched by Famine's effect."

"So Famine just rolls into town and everybody goes crazy?" Ella asked, tossing the now empty bag aside and sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"And then will come Famine, riding on a black steed. He will ride into the land of plenty, and great will be the Horseman's hunger… for he is hunger. His hunger will seep out and poison the air. " Castiel sighed. "The Horseman is hungry. The demons have been caring for him, keeping him fed on the souls of his victims so that he'll be ready."

"So that's what was in the briefcase?" Dean asked, looking at it a moment. "Twinkie dude's soul?"

Castiel nodded, popping the rest of his burger into his mouth. Oshea rubbed her head again and walked from the room moving into the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and cupped some water into her palms, splashing her face a little. She rubbed the back of her neck then leaned her hands against the sides of the sink.

Sam's brows furrowed. "Wait, you said 'so he'll be ready'... ready for what?"

"To march across the land," Castiel said, looking at his empty bag with a frown.

"Famine?" Dean repeated, pacing around the room.

"So, what, this town is just going to eat, drink, and screw itself to death?" Ella asked Castiel with a frown.

"We should stop it," Castiel said casually as he looked sadly at his empty bag. He eased his hand inside and pushed around the wrappers, looking for another burger.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Great idea. How?"

"How'd you kill the other horsemen?" Castiel said, arching a brow.

"We just cut off their rings and they ran off with their tails between their legs." Sam said with a shrug.

"So what... Famine has a class ring, too?" Oshea called from the bathroom.

"I know he does." Castiel said lowly.

"Okay," Dean nodded. "Well let's track him down and get to chopping."

Castiel frowned. "Yeah..."

Oshea took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. Lowering her hands, she gripped the sides of the sink so tightly her knuckles were white. She let her head dangle over the sink, hunching her shoulders. It was almost hard to breathe, and sweat was gathering on her forehead.

"You hamburgler," Dean muttered from in the other room.

"Developed a taste for ground beef," Castiel replied.

"Have you even tried to stop it?" Ella asked.

"I'm an angel. I can stop anytime I want." He grumbled.

"Whatever," Dean muttered. "Oshea, let's roll!"

"Dean..." She whispered, pushing herself up from the sink. She grimaced and walked to the doorway, leaning against it. "I... I can't go. I think it got to me... I'm hungry for it..." She murmured.

Dean stared at her. "...Hungry for what?"

She lowered her eyes and sighed. "I think you know what, Dean..."

"Demon blood..." He looked over at Castiel and shook his head. "You gotta be kidding me... You gotta get her out of here... beam her to Montana, anywhere but here."

"I'm sorry," Castiel said, shaking his head. "It won't work. She's already infected. Hunger's going to travel with her."

"Well then what do we do?" Dean snapped. They had just gotten Oshea past the demon blood mess... and now it was starting all over again.

"You... just cut off the SOB's finger." She said quietly. "But Dean... before you go... you..." She shook her head. "You're going to have to lock me down..." Dean watched her a moment and then nodded slowly.

After he had handcuffed Oshea to the exposed plumbing underneath the sink, he held her hands gently for a moment and looked at her. "Just hang in there... we'll be back as soon as we can."

Oshea gave his hands a little squeeze, and she nodded. "Please hurry, Dean." She said quietly.

He nodded and stood up, quickly walking over to the door and stepping out of the bathroom. He stood in the doorway a moment before closing it and stepping aside so that Castiel could push the large wooden armoir in front of the door.

_xx_

"Hey Marty," Dean called out with a polite smile as he and Castiel walked down the hall of the hospital and ran into a younger dark haired doctor. "Is Dr. Corman around?"

He stared at them for a moment. "You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

The young doctor pulled the sheet off of a body on a table, revealing the older doctor with grey hair that they had met earlier on.

"Guy's been dry for the last twenty years," The young doctor explained. "But this morning he left work, went home... and drank himself to death."

Sam and Ella followed after the angel and Dean into the room, frowning as they saw the doctor's body.

"It's Famine," Castiel said, looking up at the young doctor.

Sam shot Castiel a look. "Um.. would you excuse us a few minutes?"

"Sure," The doctor nodded, turning from them and walking out of the room.

After a moment, Dean stepped around to the other side of the doctor's body. "Crap... I really kinda liked this guy."

Castiel walked over to the body and laid his hand on the man's chest. "They haven't harvested his soul yet."

Dean thought for a moment and then looked up at Cas. "Well if we wanna play follow the soul to get to Famine... Our best short starts with the doc, here."

_xx_

The Winchesters sat outside the hospital in the Impala waiting for the demon to take the soul and lead them back to the Horseman. There was a rustling of paper as Castiel appeared and unwrapped another burger. He grinned as he took a bite of the burger. Dean turned his head at the sudden noise behind him. "Are you serious?"

"These make me... very happy," He said with a broad smile.

"How many is that exactly?" Sam asked, arching a brow.

Castiel shook his head. "I lost count. It's in the low hundreds."

Ella's eyes widened a bit. "Wow..."

"What I don't understand is... where is your hunger, Dean? I mean, slowly but surely, everyone in this town is falling prey to Famine, but so far you seem unaffected. " Castiel took another bite of his burger, finishing it off before opening another.

"Hey, when I wanna drink, I drink. When I want sex, I go get it. Same goes for a sandwich, or a fight," Dean shrugged.

"So... you're saying you're just well adjusted?"

"God no. I'm just well fed," Dean smiled.

Castiel nodded a little then went back to his food. Sam tapped Dean's shoulder and nodded. "Look there." He said as a man in a black suit stepped out with a briefcase. Dean's eyebrows furrowed as he watched the man get into a large black vehicle and drive away. Dean waited a few moments before pulling out of the parking place and following after.


	60. Always Suffering

"Alright, so do we need to go through the plan again, Cas?" Sam asked as he looked back at the angel who was brushing his fingertips over the inside of an empty burger wrapper. The Winchesters were sitting outside of a dark restaurant that they had seen the demon disappear into.

"Cas!" Ella waved her hand around in Cas' face to get his attention. "Forget the food! What's the plan? And would somebody get me some damn pretzels."

Castiel still didn't answer. Sam sighed. "Hey, happy meal!"

Castiel huffed. "I go in and cut off his ring hand with this knife... then meet you back here in the parking lot." He said lowly.

"Well great... that sounds fool..." Sam paused as he looked around the car, but Castiel was gone. "..proof."

Dean waited a total of nine seconds before switching the car off. "Okay this is taking too long," He said, getting out of the car. Sam and Ella exchanged glances before following his lead.

Sam looked around the building as the three Winchesters moved through the silent kitchen area toward the front. They passed by the body of a man whose head and shoulders were submerged in piping hot grease. "Cas?"

The three could barely see the angel from behind the counter; he was kneeling in the floor, his shoulders shuddering. Sam was just following Dean and Ella toward the doors that let out of the kitchen into the dining area of the restaurant when he was grabbed and thrown backwards. Pots and pans tumbled to the floor of the kitchen as he skidded across the surface of one of the counters. He hit the floor with a grunt and immediately was lifted up by a pair of lean men in dark suits and sunglasses.

In front of them, on the floor, Castiel was shoveling in chunks of raw hamburger meat.

Dean was suddenly grabbed from behind and thrown against the swinging doors of the kitchen. Ella was grabbed by one of the other men, and it took two to restrain Dean as they lead the three of them into the dining area. Dean turned his head toward Castiel, who continued to eat the raw meat. "Cas? What did you do to him?"

"The other Mr. Winchester," An pale, sickly looking old man in a suit in a wheelchair greeted him. "You sicced your dog on me, I just threw him a steak."

"So this is your big trick.. huh? Making people cuckoo for cocoa puffs!"

"Doesn't' take much. Hardly a push. Ah, America. All you can eat, all the time. Consume, consume. A swarm of locust in sweat pants." He paused. "And yet, you're all still starving because hunger doesn't just come from the body, it also comes from the soul."

"Sorry," Dean said smugly. "It doesn't seem to be comin' from mine."

"Yes, I noticed that... Have you wondered why that is? How you could even... walk in my prescence?"

"I like to think it's because of my strength of character," Dean smirked a little.

Famine wasn't amused. "I disagree." With the touch of a button he moved his wheelchair until he was right in front of Dean and the two demons holding him back, and he slowly raised his hand towards Dean's chest.

Dean let out a gasp as pain shot through his body at the touch of the Horseman. "Yes... I see..." Famile chuckled lowly. "That's one deep dark nothing you got there, Dean," He pulled his hand away. "Can't feel it, can you? Not with food, not with drink..." He laughed again. "Not even with sex-"

"Oh you're so full of crap," Dean sneered at him.

"Oh you can smirk and joke and lie to your brother, lie to your girlfriend, lie to yourself, but not to me! I can see inside you Dean. I can see how broken you are, how defeated. You can't win, and you know it. But you just keep fighting, just keep going through the motions. You're not hungry Dean, because inside, you're already... dead."

"Let them go." The stern voice came from the front of the building where Oshea stepped toward them. Dark blood was smeared about her lips and chin. Sam was struggling weakly against the two men in suits that held him back.

"Oshea, no..." Dean whispered quietly.

"STOP!" Famine ordered the two demons that had started to move towards Oshea. "No one will lay a finger on her." He tilted his head a little and smiled at Oshea. "I see you got the... snack I sent you."

Oshea tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "You sent?"

"Don't worry, you're not like everyone else. You'll never die from drinking too much. You're the exception that proves the rule." He threw slightly shaking arms up. "So... cut their throats! Have at them!"

"Oshea, no!" Dean cried out.

"Please, be my guest!" Famine continued.

Oshea glanced at the demons surrounding the others and Famine and lifted her hand. She closed her eyes and spread her fingers as she began to draw the demons out. The demons' bodies lurched as they released the others and black smoke began to pour from their lungs onto the floor. After a moment, she lowered her hand, panting heavily. The bodies the demons had inhabited were laying on the floor and dark smoke was writhing just over the surface of the floor like fog.

She looked at Famine and shook her head. "No."

"Well," Famine smirked. "Fine, if you don't want them. Then I'll.. have them," He suddenly opened his mouth and inhaled sharply, the dark smoke immediately jamming itself down his throat. His mouth snapped shut and he looked up at Oshea with amusement.

Oshea looked down at the flack smoke as it was suddenly drawn toward theo horsemen After the demons has been pulled from their vessels, she turned her attention toward Famine and left her hand, closing her eyes.

"I'm a Horsemen, Oshea, your power doesn't work on me," He smirked.

"You're right." She said. "But it will work on them." She closed her fingers into a tight fist.

He gasped as his dark smoke started to pour out from inside of his suit, and then it exploded from him all at once, Famine falling limply into his wheelchair. Oshea gasped sharply and dropped her hand, blood running from her nose down her lip. She panted heavily and looked up at Dean a little sadly. Castiel brushed the back of his hand over his mouth and stood up from the floor.


	61. Angels Have Fallen

Dean sighed as he leaned against the wall downstairs at Bobby's house. He lifted a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon whiskey to his lips, taking a brief sip and closing his eyes. From inside the panic room, Oshea's cries for help could be heard over and over again. Ella was sitting down on the next to last step on the stairs leading up to the rest of the house, staring at the door sadly. Sam curled his arm around Ella's shoulders, rubbing them gently. Castiel stood directly outside of the door, leaning against the wall. He lowered his eyes as he heard Oshea calling out to him for help. He looked up at Dean. "You know that's not her in there. Not really. Once she gets it out of her system..."

"I know," Dean said. "I just, uh... I just need to get some air."

Ella watched as he moved past her, walking up the stairs. He went outside, walking over to where they had parked the Impala, the bottle of whiskey still in his hand. Sam looked after him and sighed heavily. He kissed Ella's temple. "I'm gonna go talk to him." He said, standing up and walking after him.

Castiel closed his eyes as Oshea called out to him again, and he stepped away from the door, pulling out his cellphone. "I need to make a call." He said, walking up the stairs.

Dean lifted the bottle to his lips, but instead of drinking it, stared at it blankly for a moment before sitting it down on the hood of the Impala. "Dean, are you alright?" Sam said as he walked from the building out toward the Impala.

"Yeah," He muttered. "I'm super." He cleared his throat and looked away a moment, not wanting to talk about Oshea right now. "Sam... is there anything that you're dying to tell me?"

Sam arched a brow and shook his head. "Nope. Nothing at all that I need to tell you."

"You sure about that? Cause Bo-" Before he could finish the sentence, there was the fluttering of wings, and Dean had the feeling that someone was there, though he didn't see anyone. He looked around. "Hello? Cas? Are you there?"

A young man wearing a snug black t-shirt and black jeans beneath a dark trench coat stepped forward. He had short dark hair and his left hand was resting against the back of a lovely female with auburn hair pulled up into a messy bun. Dark makeup lined her bright eyes and she wore a snug black dress. She smiled. "Hello, Sam, Dean..."

Dean's eyes widened a little as the strangers appeared. He rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, angels?"

The male nodded, smiling. " 'Ello, gents." He said with a distinct British accent. He extended his hand as he approached them. "Call me Ishmael! And this lovely lady is Esther."

Dean arched a brow, looking at Ishmael's hand and then back up at him. "Yeah, no. Listen, Jude Law, do yourself a favor and get the hell out of here. We're kinda assfull of angels right now, and the last thing we need is two more showing up and screwing things up even more."

Ishmael pulled his hand away and frowned a little. "We are here to help you. We heard about your daughter, Jude." He said, looking to Sam. Sam narrowed his eyes.

"I've had enough of angels. Angels were the ones who took her in the first place."

"Exactly. So beat it," Dean nodded.

"I asked them to come," Castiel said as he stepped up behind them. "They are trustworthy. They have an idea where Jude is being held."

Esther nodded. "There is a nest of demons hiding out in a condemned building in Kansas."

"How is that anything special?" Sam said, arching a brow.

"Because, there are angels with them," Ishmael said. "With them and not smiting them."

"Cas, the last time you told us an angel was trustworthy, we had hell hounds on our butt and Ella and Oshea died because of it. So don't mind me for thinking that this is probably not a good idea," Dean said.

Castiel nodded. "I understand your concern, but you have to trust me. I've made the mistake once, I will not do so again." He paused a moment. "You do trust me, Dean, don't you?"

Dean sighed. "Fine. So, what's the plan?"

"We assumed that we would go in, get the child and bring her to you." Esther said gently, looking to Dean.

Sam shook his head. "No, absolutely not. We're going, too. I'm not leaving my daughter in the hands of angels."

Ishmael nodded. "I understand, but it will be much more difficult with so many of us."

Sam glared. "I could care less what you think. Where exactly is this condemned building?"

"Kansas," Esther replied. "On the edge of the city of Lawrence."

Dean's eyebrows raised. "Lawrence? Why are the demons keeping her there?"

"We believe they wish to use her to summon a very powerful demon." Ishmael said lowly. "This must not happen."

"If she is summoned, she will reduce your world to ash," Esther looked between Dean and Sam.

"Fun," Dean rolled his eyes. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go."


	62. A Night To Remember

Sam Winchester sat at the kitchen table in Bobby Singer's home, filling shotgun shells with rock salt as he and his brother prepared to leave the next day for Lawrence, Kansas where the angels Ishmael and Esther believed the demons were holding Judith. He fitted the back to one of the shells and sat it down. He grimaced as he began to cough roughly into his hand. His eyes were watering and his body was slightly shaking by the time he finally stopped. He looked down at the palm of his hand and saw a few sprinkles of blood running down his fingers. The symptoms of the disease he had just been diagnosed with, the- as Chuck called it- supernatural cancer, were starting to show themselves. In the previous case, he had not even been able to get away from a pair of demons.

Dean frowned as he watched his brother from the doorway. "So," He said as he stepped over to the table. "Bobby called."

Sam looked up at him and lowered his hand to try to hide the blood. "Oh?" He said, looking down at the table as he started to fix another shell.

"Oh?" Dean repeated, arching a brow as he sat across from him. "That's all you have to say? Oh?"

Sam finished the shell and sat it down a little hard, looking up at Dean. "What do you want me to say, Dean? Hm? It's obvious that you already know. I'm sick, Dean. I'm dying." Sam's voice was shaking, he swallowed hard. "There... I said it. You happy now?"

"Not particularly," Dean replied. "We'll get you out of this, okay? You and Ella will get Jude back, and you guys'll be a family. There's no way either of us are gonna let you die again."

"I've tried everything, Dean." He whispered. "I talked to Bobby, to Chuck... I've not slept in days because I've been doing research, but there is nothing." He sighed. "I should never have married Ella... you tried to tell me, but... I really thought that I could have some small piece of a normal, apple pie life... I just wanted a family. I was selfish and stupid. Now, our daughter is in the hands of demons and evil angels... and I'm going to die and leave them both..."

Dean shook his head stubbornly. "No you're not. We'll go to every damn psychic, faith healer, whatever we have to do. We're not just gonna sit around and give up. And you're wrong. I know I gave you hell for the whole wanting to get married and start a family thing, but you and Ella were the best thing to ever happen to each other. I know her, and I know you, and I know even if you had the chance you wouldn't change that. So, you're gonna get off your ass, kill some demons, get your baby back, and then we're gonna get you healthy. Understood?"

Sam looked up at his brother and gave him a little smile. "Understood." His smile faded as he looked down at the shells, toying with one. "I just... I don't know how I'm going to tell Ella... about all of this..."

"Just do it. The longer you wait to tell her the worse she's gonna take it," Dean said with a nod. He looked up as Ella walked into the room and approached the table.

Sam cleared his throat and straightened, plastering on a smile as she walked in. "Hey, Ells... you ready to go?"

"As I'll ever be," She nodded, patting the holster on her hip that held the demon killing knife.

He stood up slowly and walked over to her, touching her cheek. "We're going to get Jude back, Ella..."

"Either that, or we die trying. I myself am pulling for option A," She smiled a bit.

"Option A it is," He said softly, kissing her lips gently and stroking her cheek a little before pulling away. He walked back to the table and sat down. "When should we leave...? Tonight... in the morning?"

Another chorus of screams came from the panic room below, and Dean sighed. "Tonight."

_xx_

As if summoned, there was a soft rustling of wings and Esther and Ishmael appeared. Ishmael smiled and walked to Ella, dipping his head and laying the tips of the fingers of his left hand against his chest in a slight bow. "It is a great honor to meet you, Ella, our sister." He said, straightening. "We are at your command." He gave a little grin, and Esther smiled gently.

"We are Esther and Ishmael. It is a pleasure. If you will permit us, we will transport you all to the location of your daughter."

Ella arched a brow, looking them over cautiously and glancing over at Sam a moment. "I thought you said Cas was coming too?"

"He is there already," Ishmael said, straightening. "He wanted to be sure that the demons did not move Judith before we were prepared. We want this to go as smoothly as possible. I promise you that Esther and I will do all that we can to ensure that Judith is returned to you safely."

Though still not looking entirely convinced, Ella nodded. "Yeah, okay, let's just get this over with..."

Ishmael dipped his head, "As you wish." He stepped to Ella and pressed two fingers to her forehead. In a soft fluttering of wings, the two vanished. Esther smiled and turned to Dean and Sam, lifting her delicate hands and placing the tips of her fingers against their foreheads.

When they reappeared, they were outside of a large, condemned building with the words 'No Trespassing' spray painted in red drippy letters across the boarded windows and doors. Castiel was standing outside, waiting for them. When they arrived, he stepped toward them. "The angels have gone," He said slowly. "But the demons and Judith are still in the building."

"How many?" Ishmael said quietly as Esther walked to him, her brows furrowed.

Castiel sighed. "Close to a hundred. They aren't taking any chances."

Ishmael looked to Esther then curled an arm around her and laid his hand protectively against the small of her back. "We are prepared to do what we must."

Castiel nodded. "Thank you." He turned to the Winchesters and stepped toward them. "We will create a distraction for you while you get Judith. She is on the second floor in the last office."

Ella nodded and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Okay. Let's go."

Ishmael looked to her and gave her a small smile. "The best of luck to you, sister. If you get into trouble, call us." There was a rush of wings, and the angels vanished.

Sam, Dean, and Ella walked around the side of the building to the back door and stepped inside. Ella turned to Sam a moment and handed him the demon killing knife. "I'll grab Jude... you use this just in case their distraction isn't enough," She whispered.

Sam took the knife and nodded, gripping it's handle tightly as he, his wife and his brother stepped into the building. As they moved inside, they could hear shouting and the sounds of a fight. The building shook and dust sprinkled down from the ceiling onto the group. Sam blinked and covered his mouth, coughing softly into his palm before waving away the dust with his hand. "Castiel said she was on the second floor." He whispered, looking around the large open room. "We need to find the stairs."

Ella walked ahead of them, squinting her eyes in the dim lighting. In the next room, they found the staircase that led up to the second floor, and quietly walked up to it. The steps creaked loudly underneath Ella's foot as she stepped onto the bottom step. Hoping that no one heard it, they continued up the steps. The second floor was a long, abandoned dark hallway. The wallpaper was peeling, old rotting doors hung off the hinges of some of the rooms, and moonlight spilled in through the broken window at the end of the hall, just enough light so that they could see their way.

Sam stepped just behind Ella, keeping his eyes open for demons, but for the moment, the angels' distraction seemed to be working. There was no sound on the floor except for the soft tapping of their shoes. Doors appeared on either side of the hallway. Some were hanging on one hinge, hanging open into the hallway. Others were boarded closed. The abrupt crying startled Sam so much that he almost dropped the knife. It cute through the silence of the hallway like a bomb going off. He stiffened and his eyes widened. "Jude..."

Dean looked to Ella and Sam and glanced behind him. "You guys hurry, grab Judith... I'll keep watch here," He nodded to them.

Sam nodded and went as quickly down the hall to the door where he could hear the crying coming from. He tried the handle, but the door was locked. "Stand back, Ells." He said, glancing to her. He took a couple of steps back then lurched forward, shoving his shoulder into the door. It made a shuddering, splintering sound, but the old wood crumbled away and he pushed the limp door aside. The baby's crying had softened to quiet, hiccup-y sobs. "Go ahead, Ella. I'll stay by the door. Get Judith before someone hears her."

Without hesitation, Ella stepped into the room, following the sounds of her child's cries. The room was small, with only an old desk pulled up against the wall, and a filing cabinet. The bottom drawer of the cabinet was pulled out, stuffed with a small blanket the baby was laying on top of. She didn't even take a moment to look at Judith as she pulled her out of the drawer and held her up to her chest. As soon as she was picked up by Ella, the baby let out a tiny sniffle before she stopped crying.

Sam looked back at her over his shoulder and beckoned to her. "Come on, Ella. We have to go before the demons come back." The building shuddered beneath them and Sam staggered, catching himself on the frame of the doorway. A chunk of the ceiling fell and crashed onto the floor, kicking up dust. The building rumbled, and Sam straightened. "Hurry!"

Ella broke into a run down the stairs, the building shaking as the demons and angels fought nearby. She held the baby tightly against her chest as she reached the first floor, narrowly avoiding falling chunks of the ceiling. When she safely reached the back door they had came in through, she looked back to make sure Sam and Dean were still behind her.

The brothers rushed after her as the building began to collapse. Bright flashes of light burst from the windows, shattering the glass. Pieces of glass rained down on them and Sam glanced back toward the building before slowing and coming to Ella. He curved an arm protectively around Ella's shoulders. There was a rushing of wings and Castiel appeared. Before they could say anything, he pressed his fingertips of Ella and Sam's forehead then after they had vanished, he touched Dean, sending him away as well.

When Ella and Sam reappeared, they were standing in the middle of Bobby's living room. Dean appeared beside them a moment later. Not paying Bobby any mind, who they had nearly given a heart attack by suddenly appearing in the room, Ella looked down at the baby wrapped in the blanket in her arms. It was the first time she had seen her since she had been born several months ago. She had grown so much...

Ella tore her eyes away from the baby a moment to look up at Sam, smiling a little.

Sam looked down at Ella and smiled back. He looked down at Judith and stroked her soft cheek with the back of his fingers. "Hey, Jude..." He whispered. He looked up at Ella and chuckled a little. "We have Jude back..."

"Guess what? You're an uncle, Dean," Ella teased. "Aww. Uncle Dean. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh, we're not all going to hug, are we?"

"Aw, Uncle Dean is cranky," She smirked, looking back down at Jude for a moment. It almost took her breath away each time she did, because she couldn't believe they had made it out of there alive. The demons had had her for months, and for a while there she was convinced they'd never get her back. But now that they finally did, her motherly instincts were kicking in, and she knew no matter what, she wouldn't let them take her again.


	63. Never Tear Us Apart

_LOCUST GROVE, OHIO_

Sam was awakened by crying. He sighed and for a few moments kept his eyes closed as he waited to see if Judith would simply stop on her own. It was not to be. He pushed himself up onto his elbows and rubbed the heel of his hand against his heavy eyelids. It was hard adjusting to life with a baby. For one thing, they had had to buy a car seat for the Impala, which infuriated Dean. It had taken half the afternoon to convince him to let them put it in the back. Sam had not been sleeping well to begin with- he woke every hour to horrible spells of coughing which was growing steadily worse each day- and now the crying. He stood up and walked to the crib that the hotel staff had given them for their room. Leaning down, he carefully scooped up the baby in his arms. "Jude... Jude, it's okay... shhh.." He whispered, bouncing her gently as he started to pace. "Hey, Jude... don't... make it bad." He began to sing lowly. "Take a sa..." His voice cracked, and he shifted her to one arm, bringing his free hand to cover his mouth as he began to cough roughly.

"Sam, no offense, but never, ever, pursue a career as a singer," Ella said with a tired smile as she dragged herself out of bed and over to them. "Here, let me try," She took Jude from him and held her, slowly rocking her in her arms. As Jude started to quiet for a moment, Ella looked over at Sam a little worried. "You sick? You sound like you're dying or something."

"And I was going to try out for American Idol this year, too," Sam choked out, forcing a little smile. He coughed again and shook his head. "No, I'm fi-" He coughed violently. "Fine... I just need... a little water." He walked to the bathroom and grasped the edges of the sink. Another series of coughs tore through him and blood burst from his lips, splashing into the sink.

Ella had finally calmed Jude down a little, and laid her back in the crib, then followed Sam into the bathroom, placing a hand on his back as she walked up behind him. "You don't sound fi-" Her eyes widened at the blood. "You're definitely not fine, Sam. I'll let Dean and Oshea watch Jude, and I'll take you to the hospital or something."

"No...," He shook his head a little. "It won't do any good." He sighed and stared down at the blood running down the sides of the sink. He coughed again and the crimson fluid eased down his lower lip. "I'm sick, Ella. The ghost that you and I killed back in Tennessee... when it touched me, it infected me with some kind of supernatural disease.."

"And you were planning on telling me this, when?" She frowned when Sam didn't answer, and she grabbed his arm to turn him around to look at her. "When, Sam? And how serious is it?"

Sam could not look at her. When she spun him around, he finally lifted his gaze to meet hers and sighed softly. "I... I wanted to wait just a little while. We just got Jude back and I didn't want to ruin that for you... I wanted you to be happy." He lowered his eyes again. "It's.. kind of bad, Ella... I'm dying..."

"You..." Ella's voice trailed off and then she shook her head. "No. No. No, no no," She closed the bathroom door quietly and looked up at him. "Does Dean know?"

Sam nodded slowly. "Yes... he hasn't known long though. He wouldn't have known if Bobby hadn't told him. I didn't want you both to know..."

"How could you keep something like that from me, Sam?" Tears started to well up in her eyes but she immediately wiped them away. "I'm your wife, I deserve to know if you're not going to be around anymore!"

Sam furrowed his brows and touched her face gently. "Ella... I just... we were happy. We have our baby back. Oshea's here..." He sighed and rubbed his eyes, feeling a headache beginning to pound behind his eyes. "I didn't want you both to worry about it... there's nothing we can do anyway."

"You didn't want us to wor-" Ella sighed and sat down on the closed toilet lid, holding her face in her palms a moment and then glancing back up at him again. "I'm not gonna let this happen. Me or Dean, or Oshea," She swallowed. "I want to kick your butt for not telling me this sooner, Sam..."

"Ella, there's nothing that we can do. I've talked to Chuck and Bobby... there isn't anything that can be done for this." He said quietly, watching her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you... I just didn't know how..."

"I don't care how you tell me, Sam. As long as I actually get the friggen information instead of not knowing my husband is dying. I'm your wife. Dean is your brother. You should know by now that neither of us are going to let you go down without a fight. So pack your crap. I'm gonna wake up Dean and Oshea, we're going to drop Jude by Bobby's, and start looking for a way to get you out of this," Ella stood up and walked out of the room.


	64. On The Road Again

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Bobby Singer grumbled as he walked to the door after hearing the knocking. He opened the door and arched a brow as he saw Sam standing outside the door with a sheepish smile, holding a baby in his arms.

"Hi... Bobby."

"Hello, Sam... I see you found Judith." Bobby said, nodding to the baby.

Sam nodded, "About that... Ella and I have a kind of favor to ask you..."

"Yeah. Well, as you know, Sam is dying, meaning he's our little.. er, tall.. damsel in distress and we have to save him. And we can't really get anything done with Jude around. Truth be told, she's kind of driving Oshea and Dean crazy." Ella continued.

"Truth be told... she's kind of driving all of us crazy," Sam said quietly.

Bobby stared at them blankly. "And what do you want..." He stopped and his eyes widened. "You can't be serious."

"Please, Bobby? Just for a little while!" Sam said quickly.

"Absolutely not! I don't know anything about babies!" Bobby said, shaking his head rapidly.

"It's not that hard! All they do is eat, sleep, and poop!" Ella added in. "I'm sure you'll do fine!"

Bobby stared at the baby in Sam's arms warily, and Sam offered her to him. "Come on, Bobby... please? We've been doing some research and we found someone claiming to be a prophet. We're going to talk to them about my illness. We won't be gone long, a couple days maybe..."

Bobby sighed and before he could speak, Sam laid the baby in his arms and dropped the small duffel bag with the baby's things inside of the door. "Thank you, Bobby. So much!"

"Be good for uncle Bobby!" Ella smiled at Jude for a moment before the two of them quickly turned and walked away, leaving Bobby standing alone on the porch holding Jude.

Bobby stammered something unintelligible and looked from the wide eyed baby in his arms to the hunters as they moved back to the Impala. "But I...," He sighed. "Fine... I guess..."

Bobby stood in the doorway, staring blankly after the Impala as it drove off. Slowly, he looked down into the wide, dark eyes of the baby in his hands. "Now… don't you get any ideas," He said, holding her awkwardly in front of him. A little drool trickled down over her lower lip as she kicked her feet and pressed her tiny hands into her mouth. Her head swayed a little unsteadily as she tried to hold it up, and Bobby cleared his throat. "We're just going to… take this one step at a time. First we… uh…" Bobby looked around behind him at his cluttered home. "We're gonna need a crib." he stepped back into the home, kicking the makeshift diaper bag across the floor as he moved into the house. "I think I still have your dad's old crib somewhere here. Maybe in the attic."

He started up the stairs with the baby still held in front of him. She swiveled her head as they moved through his home, her wide, dark eyes taking everything in.

The attic was in a complete state of disarray. Bobby shifted the baby to the crook of one arm and tugged the little chain that cut on the naked light bulb that hung from the low ceiling. "Alright now… uh…," He looked at Judith then at the boxes. "A huntin' we will go."

Bobby wandered through the stacked boxes and pieces of older furniture, finally finding the crib pushed against the wall. It was a simple wooden crib painted with dark stain and fitted with black, swiveling wheels on the feet. He walked to it and brushed some of the dust off of the little mattress and laid down Judith inside. "There we go. Now… there might be some more of your dad's things up here that we can use…" He grabbed a couple of boxes marked accordingly and put them under one arm, using the other arm to steer the crib toward the stairs. He stumbled a little and something fell from one of the boxes. He bent down to pick it up and deposited it back into the box, only to see the crib rolling toward the stairs and disappearing over the side. He gasped and rushed forward, dropping the boxes to the floor. Bobby lunged forward and snatched the leg of the crib, collapsing hard onto his stomach on the floor and sending up a little cloud of dust. Judith gave a gurgling laugh as she wriggled in the middle of the crib, and Bobby groaned. "I'm getting too old for this."

_xx_

Later the next afternoon, after over twenty hours of driving, the Impala finally pulled into a parking lot of a quaint motel in Athens, Georgia. Sam and Dean had taken turns driving a couple of times, and Dean even gave up the wheel to Ella once so that the rest of them could get a couple hours sleep. When she stopped the car, Ella looked over at Sam, who was asleep in the passenger's seat, his head resting against the door, and then she looked back at Oshea and Dean, who were both also asleep. She yawned a little, trying to hide a smirk as she reached for the volume button on the radio and turned it up, the last verse of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" blaring through the car's speakers.

Sam jerked up a little as the song began to blare through the speakers. He looked over to Ella and rubbed his eyes a little, looking out of the window. "Are we there yet?" He asked groggily, coughing a little into his palm. Oshea jumped a little at the loud music, but kept her eyes closed. She snuggled closer to Dean and grumbled softly in her sleep.

"Five more minutes."

Ella laughed a little as she turned the volume down. "Yeah, we're here."

"Wait wait wait turn that back up, that's my jam," Dean muttered, keeping his eyes closed.

Ella arched a brow. "Your _jam?"_

Sam rolled his eyes and reached back and gave Dean a little smack on the on the knee. "Get up, sleeping beauty. We're here." He grabbed the door of the Impala and pushed it open. Oshea rubbed her eyes a bit then pulled away from Dean with a sigh.

"Finally…"

"So, this healer- prophet chick... her name is Brianna, right?" Ella asked with a little yawn as she got out of the car. "What else did Jo say about her?"

"She didn't say much on the phone," Sam said as he climbed from the car. "She said she was going to come see us to talk when we got into town."

Ella's brows furrowed as she looked over the top of the car at him, standing on her tiptoes. "Really? Why?"

"She was busy working on a case in the area. Bobby called her and explained the situation so she wanted to give us a heads up. Then she got a call about looking at a body or something," Sam said with a shrug. "I guess we should call her and let her know we're here."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, you do that. I'll get us a room and we'll get settled in, then we can go Brianna,"

As he turned to walk up to the motel, Ella walked around the car and opened the trunks, grabbing her duffle bag and slinging the strap over her shoulder. She glanced up at Sam as he walked around to the trunk. "So.. you guys never talk about Jo. I don't really know much about her, just that she was some chick who tied me up when she was under War's spell... and I just realized how bad that sounded," Ella chuckled.

Sam nodded and pulled out his cell phone, starting to dial the number. He walked over to Ella and shook his head, chuckling slightly. "She's just a friend of ours. You have nothing to be jealous of, Ells. You'll always be my penguin."

"Sam... sweetie..." She smiled sweetly as she stepped up to him, leaning in close. "If you call me that again, I will end you," She said, still smiling.

"Get in line," He said a little grimly as he put the phone to his ear. "Jo? It's Sam... we're at the hotel. The uh... Sunshine Motel." He grimaced a little at the name. "We're going to go see her now. Okay... see you then." He hung up the phone and put it back into his pocket as he moved to help Ella with the bags. "She's coming by first thing tomorrow."

Dean returned to the Impala holding the keys to their motel room. "We're all set. Let's get our stuff inside so we can get to the Bria chick's place before it gets too late."

Sam carried their bags into the hotel then walked back into the Impala and climbed inside. "Alright. Let's get this over with." He said with a little sigh.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Well don't get too excited. You might pull something."


	65. While There's Still Time

Bobby had finally managed to get the crib down into the living room and was just bringing down the last of the boxes from the attic. "Alright, Jude." He said, sitting down the box by the crib, where Judith was watching him curiously. He reached in and pulled her out, grunting as he settled down on the floor and placed her in his lap. "Let's see… this was your dad's blanket." He said, pulling out an old plaid flannel blanket and offering it to the little girl. "Everything was burned up in the fire…," He explained while digging through another box. "So I had to make due with what I had around the place when your grandpa dropped your dad off here. You know, your dad spent more time with obscure family members and other hunters than with your grandpa." He looked down, seeing Judith sucking on the edge of the blanket. "Don't worry, kid, you're dad's not gonna be like that. They just have to get a few things straightened out."

Judith cooed, and Bobby cleared his throat, pulling out a plush duck that was obviously a dog toy. "This was your dad's, too. See, I'd thought about getting a dog, you know after the missus… well… anyway… thought about it, bought a few things and was just about to go find one when your grandpa dropped off the boys so… gave it to Sam, instead. It quacks, see?" He gave the little animal's stomach a squeeze, causing it to make a squeaky noise. Judith jumped a little, blinking her eyes then giggled and stretched out her hands for it, bringing it down to her face and chewing on the duck's bill.

"Now… we just need to find you some things to wear…," He pulled over the duffel bag that Sam and Ella had left and dug through it. "Well, they have some clothes in here for you at least… diapers…. Wait…" He frowned, dumping out the bag's contents onto the floor. "Where is the food? Aren't there supposed to be little jar with grinning babies on the front? Or bottles or… something?" He looked to Judith, who merely stared back at him. "Well then it's a good thing you're not hun-"

Judith spat out the duck and wriggled, her face screwing up as she began to cry. Bobby shook his head. "No no no no no no no. Come on, it's a dirty diaper. Please? Please don't tell me I have to try to buy you food." He picked her up and gave a testing sniff, groaning when he realized that she was clean. "Balls."

_xx_

Brianna Owens lived in a decent sized house on the edge of the nice part of Athens. By the time the Impala pulled into the driveway it was already starting to get dark out. The four of them got out of the car and stepped onto the front porch and Ella stepped forward, ringing the doorbell. A brunette woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties answered the door, wearing a snug black sweater and jeans. She looked them over a moment before smiling a little. "You must be the Winchesters," She looked at Sam and Dean. "I've heard a lot about you two."

Sam forced a little smile. He was not going to get his hopes up. Bobby and Chuck had both said that there was nothing that could be done for his illness. "Hello, you must be Brianna. I'm Sam, this is my brother Dean, my wife Ella, and her sister Oshea."

Brianna smiled. "Nice to finally meet all of you. Come on in, I just made tea. Anyone want anything?" She stepped aside, allowing them to walk further into the house.

Sam coughed into his hand. "Some tea would be nice." He said, rubbing his throat a little as they group stepped inside.

She nodded. "Alrighty. Make yourself at home," She said, gesturing towards the couch and loveseat in the living room before disappearing into the kitchen.

Sam walked with the others into the living room and settled down on the cushion of the couch. "Do we really need to do this, Dean?" He said quietly, looking to his brother. "Spill all of our personal business to some stranger just to have her tell us that there's nothing she can do?"

Dean sighed. "Sam-"

"Don't start," Dean glared as Ella cut him off and started to talk over him. "Even if she can't do anything, at least we can say we tried something. None of us are going to just give up on saving you because you wanna be all broody can't be saved dying guy. So get over it."

Sam lowered his eyes and coughed again into the palm of his hand. He didn't like the idea of talking to this woman they didn't even know, but Jo had said that the woman was trustworthy, so he guessed it was alright. "I'm just trying to be realistic, Ella..."

"And I'm just trying to keep my husband from dying, Sam, so I'm sorry if that ruins your plan of being a little emo bitch," She snapped and then straightened in her seat as Brianna returned to the room. She sat the tray that held the cups of tea on the coffee table in front of the couch, taking one of them for herself as she sat down on loveseat across from them.

"I couldn't help overhearing..." She took a sip of her tea and then looked over at Sam. "You really don't wanna be here, do you, Sam?"

Sam frowned deeply, his brows furrowing as he watched his wife. When Brianna walked in, he looked over to her slowly then glanced down at the tea. Reaching over, he took one of the cups and sipped at the steaming liquid, hoping that it would help his aching through. Lowering the cup, he stared at the dark tea inside and nodded. "I just don't want to waste your time... or get anyone's hopes up." He said quietly. "We've already spoken to a prophet and done exhaustive research on our own... and everything says that I'm going to die. I just want to accept it and focus on living the rest of this year instead of spending my last few months worrying and searching for something that just doesn't exist."

Brianna smiled. "I can understand that," She nodded. "But just think of it this way... if it were Ella, or Dean here who were in your shoes.. wouldn't you be doing all you could to look out for them?"

Sam nodded a little, drumming the tip of one finger against the side of the cup. "Yeah, I would..."

Ella shot her husband a 'told you so' look and Brianna nodded. "Okay, let's get started then," She stood up and rummaged through her desk across the room a moment before sitting next to him on the couch, holding a piece of paper in one hand, and something else in the other. "Okay, so what I need to do is draw this symbol" She said, holding up the small scrap of paper that had a symbol drawn onto it in red ink for him to see "In your palm. With this," She finally held up what was in her other hand, which was a small but sharp pocket knife. "I could just do it with a pin, or just trace it onto your hand with my finger like some cheesy psychic tourist trap. But the blood is necessary if we're wanting to get a clear enough vision. Without it, the chances are pretty low."

Sam slowly lowered the cup he had been holding down onto the tray on the table before taking the slip of paper from her. He frowned at the symbol thoughtfully. "I've never seen something like this before." He said to no one in particular before handing it back and nodding. "Might as well." He offered her his right hand, palm up. "Do your worst."

"The symbol is just meant to help enhance my visions, along with the blood. It's something most healers and prophets like myself use. Like I said, I could just hold your hands and pretend to do some meditation crap and lie to your face about the results. But this right here," She gestured at the paper. "Is the real deal." She flipped open the pocket knife and without hesitation started to carve the symbol into Sam's hand.

Sam stiffened slightly at the first few cuts, but as the blood started to trickle down his hand, he felt an odd sensation spreading across his palm. It was a faint tingling as if his hand had fallen asleep, and it spread down his fingers and up his arm. As the feeling blossomed in his chest, his slightly ragged breathing began to steady and calm and his aching head cleared. He took in a deep breath and released it in a quiet sigh, feeling the tension flowing from his stiff muscles as the blood dripped into the decanter she had placed on the table beneath his hand before starting to cut. He felt amazing, as if he wasn't sick at all; he didn't want her to stop cutting into his hand if this was the result.

She finished several moments later and then sat aside the knife, wrapping her hand around his bleeding palm. She closed her eyes and began to squeeze his hand tightly, her lips moving rapidly as she started to mutter something unintelligible, her voice barely over a whisper. She tilted her head a little, becoming silent, and then her eyes shot open and she looked at him a moment, blinking. "Well I'll be damned... you were wrong, Sam," She said, letting his hand loose. "Looks like that something _does _exist."

Sam looked down as she sat down the knife, expecting to feel pain when she pressed the wound. Instead, he felt a wave of comfort move through him as if he were getting massaged by unseen hands. He had never felt so good in his life. The feeling remained after she had released his hand, and he looked up at her, his eyes widening. "You mean... there's a cure?" He had not wanted to think it was possible, hadn't wanted to get his hopes up, but now that he heard that there might be something that could stop him from dying, he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face.

"There's a spell. It's not going to be easy... I'm not even sure I have all that's required to do it. But it's possible," She smiled. "Should have listened to your wife."

This time Ella actually did say it. "I told you so."

Brianna chuckled and then moved her other hand up to her forehead, rubbing it a little. "Whew, that wore me out. How about this. I'll gather all that I need for the spellwork, and you all go back to where you're staying and get a good night's rest, and you can come back tomorrow and we'll get this done. Alright?"

Sam flexed his cut hand a little and nodded, chuckling as he shook his head. He could not believe this. "Yeah, yeah, definitely." He looked up at Brianna. "Thank you so much... I just can't believe this... "

"Believe it," She smiled. "Oh, and tomorrow you'll need to come alone."

Ella arched a brow. "Say what now?"

"The spell is very delicate. If anyone else is here aside from the person that the spell is meant for, then the whole thing could go haywire, and I'd end up curing someone else of a disease that they don't even have," She explained with a nod.

Oshea frowned. "Sounds a little suspicious to me." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sam shook his head. "I think it makes sense. Besides, you all were the ones that were so gun-ho about me coming here. Now she says she has a cure and you're suddenly questioning it?"

"No, she's right," Ella sighed and nodded. "I'm no witch but I'm guessing whatever this is, if it's powerful enough to cure someone of an almost incurable disease, then it's not something we want to risk screwing up. It could make Sam even worse off than he is now if it's not done right."

Oshea fell quiet, but still watched Brianna warily as they stood from the couch. "Fine." She said with a shrug, though she intended to do some research about this so called spell and the symbol when they got back to the hotel.

"I'll should be all set up here by about 5 tomorrow evening. You can come by then."


	66. I'd Much Rather Be With The Boys

Bobby stepped out to his car, holding the wiggling and fussing Judith, and stared blankly into the backseat. "Uh… hm… I think there's supposed to be some kind of seat- ah!" He said, seeing a car seat that had been left outside of his door. Bobby grabbed the seat from the stoop and walked back to the vehicle, having to juggle the seat and the kid to open the door and put the thing inside. Once it was fastened into the seat, he sat down Judith and struggled for several moments before getting the buckles correctly buckled.

Once they got to the store, Bobby sat the baby down in the special baby seat in the grocery store's buggy and began to drift through the store. Judith was clearly not pleased with the situation and wriggled and kicked in the seat, her face going red as she cried. Bobby looked around sheepishly as people began to stare at him and his unhappy baby. "Shhh… come on, Jude." He said lowly, finally finding the baby food aisle and turning down it. "They're going to think I'm starving you!" He hissed, leaning toward her.

Judith sniffled and hiccupped pitifully, giving him a 'well you are' kind of look. "I am not!" Bobby grumbled. "Not intentionally anyway. Let's see…," He straightened and looked at the rows of little baby food jars. He snatched one up and furrowed his brows. "Do you like… organic mild vegetable and chicken…korm… is this even _food?_" he asked, replacing the jar. "Wait… are you even old enough to eat this slop?"

Judith gave another cry and kicked her feet. Bobby leaned down again toward her. "Come on, kid, just gimme a minute." Judith blinked and reached up her hands, snatching the hat off of his head and jamming it between her lips. Bobby flung a hand to the top of his head and looked around before giving it a shake. "No, you can't drool on my hat! I need that!" He took the hat away from her and shook the drool off of the hat. Judith began crying again with renewed vigor, and Bobby glanced up, catching the eye of a woman who was staring at him with a disapproving look before wheeling her cart away. The elder hunter huffed. "I don't care, you're not getting my hat, and that's final."

Judith's cry became louder and she clenched her fists beating them down on the sides of the baby seat. Bobby looked up as the fluorescent lights began to flicker and buzz. All of a sudden, the two long shelves shuddered and the tiny jars of baby food shot off the shelves, shattering against the floor and smearing globs of the pureed food on the tiled floor. Bobby's eyes grew wide and he gave the hat quickly back to Judith. The lights stopped flickering, and Judith sniffled and hiccupped as she sucked on the brim of the hat.

"Clean up on aisle 6! Clean up on aisle 6!" A voice chirped over the intercom.

Bobby fidgeted a little, feeling naked without his hat. "Let's just hurry and get your grub and go." He said, grabbing what they needed and hurrying out of the destroyed aisle.

_xx_

The next morning, the hopeful group was awakened by the sound of knocking. For the first time in a long time, Sam was actually asleep instead of pacing around the room or behind the bathroom door coughing up pools of blood. Still sleeping peacefully, he turned to Ella and moved closer to her as the knocking continued. Oshea was up, sitting at the computer with her knees drawn to her chest and her feet perched on the edge of the chair. She took a sip of her coffee and stood up from the chair starting toward the door. Her hair had been pulled up quickly and she was still in her pajamas, which were a stolen pair of Dean's boxers and a tank. She opened the door and forced a little smile. "Jo... it's so good to see you. What are you doing here so early?"

Jo was dressed in a low cut black shirt beneath an olive green, open jacket and a pair of faded jeans. "Hi, Oshea. The boys up?"

Dean was in the middle of brushing his teeth when he stepped out of the bathroom, in a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, his toned chest bare. "Hey, Jo," He nodded, his words a little muffled from the toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.

Jo arched a brow and grinned a bit as she took in Dean's shirtless form. "Lookin' good, Winchester." She said, stepping into the room. Oshea's brows shot upward then dipped down sharply as she gripped the knob of the hotel door so tightly the metal creaked. She shut the door a little hard then started toward Jo, whose back was to her. Her fists were clenched at her sides.

Ella, who was still laying in bed but awake by now, immediately jumped up and hurried over to her sister's side to stop Oshea from strangling Jo. "Hey, Jo, excuse us for a sec," She smiled and then pulled her sister out of the motel room for a moment.

Sam sat up and stretched his arms over his head, feeling rested and wide awake. He smiled and sat on the edge of the bed wearing just his boxers and a wife beater. Jo looked over her shoulder to Ella and smiled a little. "That's fine. I'll keep the boys company while you're gone."

Oshea's eyes widened and she stammered a little as she was pulled out of the room. When they were outside, she gestured wildly toward the door. "Ella! You can't leave her alone in there with them!"

"Why? You're afraid she's going to try to rape them both with her eyes?"

"Yes," Oshea squeaked leaning over to look in the window. The shades were still pulled over, and she cursed a little. "I don't like her and the way she oggles the guys. Dean especially." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You can't be serious. Sam told me himself that Dean only thinks of Jo as a little sister. And besides," She added. "You're way prettier than her. Blondie doesn't stand a chance."

"I guess," Oshea said before nodding. "You're right." She brushed back a loose strand of hair that had fallen from her ponytail. "Let's get back in there and talk to her so she can leave."

"That's the spirit," Ella threw an arm around her sister and led her back into the room.

"So, Jo," Ella said as she closed the door behind her and approached the blonde with a smile. "What brings you here?"

When they stepped back into the room, Jo was sitting down on the end of Dean and Oshea's bed, leaning back on her hands. "There've been a few suspicious murders that I've been looking into." Jo said, looking up at Ella. "So, did you guys see Brianna yet?"

"Yeah, last night. She cut some weird symbol into Sam's palm," She said, gesturing over to Sam's now bandaged hand. "Concentrated, or whatever, and poof. Said she realized a way to help him. He's coming back by there later today."

Dean nodded, leaning against the bathroom's doorframe after tugging on his shirt. "So, we gotta ask, Jo. How much do you really know about this Brianna chick, anyway?"

"Not as much as I would like," Jo said with a nod. "She seems legit enough, especially after hearing what you said about Sam. I'm really glad to hear that. I was really worried after Bobby called me and told me about the disease. And I kind of had to put my background check of her on hold because another body turned up at the morgue."

"Got any leads on what it might be?" Ella asked, sitting down.

"Well, considering the fact that the 'bodies' I've been to see are more like... leftover pieces of a puzzle rather than actual corpses. I'm thinking that whatever this is, is actually... devouring it's victims. There are places where you can even see teeth marks. So I was thinking maybe a rugaru... I thought wendigo, but the bodies are too fresh, they normally keep their dinners hanging out for a while." She said, with a shake of her head.

"Yeah, definitely not wendigo," Ella agreed. "Sounds like a rugaru to me. Well, if you need any help, you know where to find us."

"I'm a big girl, I think I can handle it." She said, glancing toward her. Looking back to Dean, she smiled. "It was great to see you again, Dean. You, too, Sam." She grinned as she walked toward the door. "By the way," She turned and held out her hand. "Let me see the mark on your hand, Sam." He stood up and walked over to her, holding out his hand. She untied the bandages they had wrapped his hand in then brushed the tip of her finger over the symbol. "Interesting. It looks kind of familiar." She released his hand after letting her hands linger against his a moment longer than necessary and stepped from the door. "I'll keep in touch!"

Oshea crossed her arms over her chest and drummed her fingers against her arm, seething as she glared toward the door. "What a bitch..." Ella muttered only loud enough for herself and Oshea to hear.


	67. Evil Walks

"Don't you have to breathe?" Bobby questioned the still sobbing baby in his arms as he carried in the plastic bags nearly overflowing with baby formulas and bottles. He laid Judith down in the crib and dropped in the plaid flannel blanket and the dog toy duck before wheeling it into the kitchen with him. Setting down the bags, he pulled out one of the bottles and cleaned it off before looking at the formula can. "Okay… it says to boil some water… mix in a few scoops of this powder stuff in the bottle…." His voice faded into a low unintelligible murmur as he finished reading then set about to fixing the formula.

While he was waiting for the water to boil, he moved to the container of formula powder and pulled it open. Judith was still crying loudly, and without warning, the powder exploded into Bobby's face. An ivory cloud hovered in the kitchen a moment, and Bobby turned to look at the baby, his face all covered in powder. "I hope you're happy. Now I look like friggin' Casper." He brushed the powder off his face as Judith gave a faint giggle. "Haha… very funny."

The water finally came to a boil and he mixed together the water with the powder, shaking it up and letting it cool a little before picking Judith up and cradling against one arm, pushing the tip of the bottle to her lips. She was still sniffling and hiccupping as she placed her little hands against the sides of the bottle and began to eat. Bobby released a sigh of relief and flopped down into a chair at the kitchen table. "There now… happy?" Judith looked up at him with wide, dark eyes as she continued to suck down the formula.

After she had drained the bottle, Bobby lifted her up and threw a towel over his shoulder to burp her. As soon as he took the towel off and laid it down, she spat up on the front of his shirt. He sighed and cleaned her up before laying her down in the crib and covering her up with the blanket.

_xx_

Jo stepped into the morgue of the hospital, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. After looking at the symbol on Sam's hand, she was almost positive that she had seen it before. She hoped that she was wrong, but if she wasn't, Sam could be in big trouble. "Thank you, doctor. Some new evidence has come to light and I just need to see the bodies again."

The doctor walking beside of her nodded and gestured toward the room. "We brought up all of the remains that you requested, Agent Perry."

Jo stepped into the room alone and walked among the bodies, looking at the palms of the victims. She cursed beneath her breath and dialed the familiar number. "Bobby? Come on, pick up."

"Yeah?" The voice on the other line answered.

"Bobby, it's Jo. Listen, I think we have a problem. I just sent you a picture of a symbol that I found on a few bodies. Could you look it up for me?"

"Yeah, I'll get to researching and call you back when I find something. What's this about, anyway?"

"It's about Sam. That woman claiming to be a prophet drew the symbol on his hand, and I found the same symbol on all of the bodies I've been going over at the morgue." Jo said slowly.

"You'd better go make sure they don't go back to her. I'll stay here and call you as soon as I find anything on this symbol. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not anything good."

"Thanks, Bobby. I'm leaving the hospital now to go see them." She said, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. She hung up the phone and started quickly across the parking lot toward her car. She had just reached the vehicle when a low noise startled her, causing to drop her keys. They clattered beneath the car and she whirled around. Her eyes widened and scream started in her throat, but was abruptly silenced.


	68. It Must Be Hell

One of the many phones in the house began to ring, and Bobby lurched up from the chair where he had been sitting. He snatched up the phone and answered, glancing toward the crib where Judith was still sleeping. "Hello? Oh, Jo, it's you… " Bobby walked over to the old computer and turned on the monitor, clicking a couple of buttons as he sat down in front of it. "Yeah, I'll get to researching and call you back when I find something," Bobby said with a nod after he pulled up the email and looked at the picture. "What's this about, anyway?"

He picked up a pen and sketched out the symbol before cutting off the computer monitor again and moving to take a thick book off one of his shelves while Jo talked. Bobby was quiet a moment. "You'd better go make sure they don't go back to her. I'll stay here and call you as soon as I find anything on this symbol. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not anything good."

He hung up the phone and sat down, beginning to flip through the various volumes about symbols and signs. It took almost three hours and leafing through seven different books before he found a match to the symbol. Like he had thought, the answer was not good news. "Balls," He grumbled as he dialed Jo's number. The phone rang and rang, but she never answered. He furrowed his brows and dialed Sam's number instead. He was sent straight to voicemail. Rolling his eyes, he sat down the phone and stood up, walking toward the kitchen to try to find himself something to eat. He was just about to heat up a piece of casserole that a neighbor had given him when the phone rang. He sat down the dish and rushed into the living room, forgetting about the boxes he had laid down in the floor. He tripped over them and skidded across the floor on his stomach. Judith began to cry at the loud noise of him collapsing to the floor, and he sighed, hitting his forehead on the wooden flooring a couple times. Standing, he grabbed the phone and answered. "Hello?"

"Is this Bobby Singer?"

"Yeah, who's calling?" He rubbed his head.

"This is the Athens Police Department in Georgia. Do you know a Jo Harvelle?"

Bobby's brows furrowed. "Yeah… is she in some kind of trouble?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but… she was found dead outside of Athens Memorial."

_xx_

Several hours after Jo had left and Sam had gone to Brianna's, Dean's phone began to ring, blaring the notes of some rock song. Dean, Ella and Oshea were hanging out in the motel room watching a movie and snacking on some popcorn that Ella had made for them. They were all three on edge a little bit, impatiently waiting on Sam to call them when he was finished at Brianna's. Dean jumped to his feet and walked over to the table where his phone was sitting, and answered it. "Hello?"

"Dean?" Bobby spoke slowly from the other end of the phone. Dean could hear soft crying in the background. "I'm so glad that you answered. I've been trying Sam's phone, but I'm not getting any answer. That woman you went to see? Brianna? Turns out that she's not a prophet, she's a pagan god."

"...Please be joking, Bobby," Dean said after a moment.

"Ain't a joke, son. Brianna sets up shop in a town, pretends to be a prophet or a psychic and goes around collecting sacrifices. She doesn't kill everyone that comes to her, just those who happen to catch her eye. She marks them with that symbol and then once she gets them alone, she devours them alive. It gets worse, Jo apparently was getting too close to the truth about her and... well, she's gone, Dean. Brianna killed her outside of the hospital."

"She's... she's dead?" Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I knew there was something off about that Brianna chick... it was too good of a deal to be true."

Oshea looked up and frowned, standing from the bed where she had been sitting and walked to Dean. "Dean, is everything okay?" She whispered, touching his arm.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I just got a call from the police about it. They found her… or what was left of her outside of her car in the parking lot. You've got to keep Sam away from her. It's a good thing you all didn't let him go by himself." When there was no immediate answer, he spoke again. "You didn't let him go by himself did you? Tell me you all were smart enough to know not to let him go alone."

Dean cleared his throat. "Yeah... about that.."

"Just go get him before he becomes a living Happy Meal, ya idjit." Bobby said before hanging up the phone.

Dean flipped the phone closed and turned to Ella and Oshea. "We have a problem."

_xx_

"Come on, go to sleep, please." Bobby said as he patted the baby's back and bounced around, feeling ridiculous as he paced around the living room. Judith was whimpering and crying after being rudely awakened by the call from the police. Bobby could not believe that Jo was really gone. He flipped open his phone, realizing that he was going to have to call Dean and tell him the news.

The phone rang once before he heard Dean's voice on the other line. "Dean? I'm so glad that you answered. I've been trying Sam's phone, but I'm not getting any answer. That woman you went to see? Brianna? Turns out that she's not a prophet, she's a pagan god."

Sighing he looked down at Judith, who was still crying, and pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment. "What now? I fed you and… oh… please say it isn't so." He lifted her up a little and took a tentative sniff. Gasping and holding her away from him at arm's length, he stared. "For such a tiny thing you sure know how to make a statement." He carried her into the bathroom after grabbing the bag Sam and Ella had left for him. They had at least remembered to pack diapers and wipes and powder.

"Ain't a joke, son." He answered Dean as he tore the soiled diaper away. He gasped sharply, making a face. "Brianna sets up shop in a town, pretends to be a prophet or a psychic and goes around collecting sacrifices. She doesn't kill everyone that comes to her, just those who happen to catch her eye. She marks them with that symbol and then once she gets them alone, she devours them alive. It gets worse, Jo apparently was getting too close to the truth about her and... well, she's gone, Dean. Brianna killed her outside of the hospital."

He grabbed the diaper and dropped it into the trash bag, tying the bag closed. He would have to take it out as soon as he finished with Judith. The smell was still hanging in the air. "I'm sorry, Dean. I just got a call from the police about it. They found her… or what was left of her outside of her car in the parking lot. You've got to keep Sam away from her. It's a good thing you all didn't let him go by himself." He cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder as he started to clean the baby off with one of the wipes. When there was no immediate answer, he spoke again, closing his eyes. "You didn't let him go by himself did you? Tell me you all were smart enough to know not to let him go alone."

Judith kicked her feet and giggled, starting to pull herself forward a little and scoot across the counter on the towel. Bobby arched a brow and placed his hand down on the end of the towel, halting her advance. "Just go get him before he becomes a living Happy Meal, ya idjit." Bobby said before hanging up the phone. He pushed it into his pocket and turned the little girl over, fitting on the clean diaper.


	69. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

Sam lowered himself down onto his back on the table and took in a deep breath. He was still feeling amazing, almost giddy. He was so ready to be through with the illness for good. To be able to start really hunting again and to start being a real husband and father. He couldn't wait to see Jude again. After the spell was done, he was going to call Bobby and check on her. He had left his phone on the counter as Brianna told him and turned it off so it wouldn't distract her. "What exactly does this spell consist of? What are you going to be doing?"

Brianna sighed. "I'm sorry, Sam, I believe I mislead you. I'm not going to be doing any spells and chanting, and healing, or any of that."

Sam's brows furrowed and he felt the good feelings slowly starting to seep away. "What do you mean?"

"I mean there's really no way to save you, Sam. I lied," She shrugged a little, her hands behind her back. "But if I told you that yesterday, you wouldn't have come back here alone today. So I had to say something."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "You're not really a prophet are you?" He said lowly. "What -are- you? What do you want with me?"

"Same as what I wanted with your pretty little blonde friend, and the others. A tasty snack to keep my god-like powers in check. You, Sam, are a sacrifice. Isn't that exciting?" She walked over to him slowly, grinning.

"My blonde fri-... Jo...," He breathed. "You bitch!" He snarled, pushing himself up on the table.

"Now, now. Mind your blood pressure, Sam. There's no point in getting upset now. What's done is done. Now hold still," She told him, before moving her hands from behind her back and raising the butcher knife she had been holding.

The good feelings he had been feeling had all but vanished, and he sank back down to the surface of the table, coughing heavily. "I'm not going to just... lay here and let you kill me..." He said between coughs. As she pulled the knife, he pushed himself off of the table and staggered to his feet, holding onto the edge of the table for support.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed the back of Sam's shirt, pulling him backwards as she raised the knife. Just as she was doing so, the front door of the home was kicked open and Dean stepped inside, followed by Oshea and Ella. Brianna arched a brow and let Sam loose, pushing him to the ground and stepping over him. "Oh goodie, we have company... no worries. The more the merrier. I'll just eat you all, too. Starting with you, Miss Attitude" She smirked at Oshea.

Sam dropped to the floor heavily, and coughed roughly as she stepped over him. He turned and looked toward the doorway as the others stepped into the home. Oshea returned the smirk. "I knew there was something I didn't like about you. Come and get it." The red head replied, spinning the stake she held in her hand.

Brianna sprinted towards Oshea, head butting her and sending her flying backwards. Ella stepped behind Brianna and yanked her back, then kneeing her in the stomach. Caught off guard for only a moment, Brianna pulled herself back up and swirled around and kicked Ella. Ella groaned and tried to catch her breath as Dean was slammed into the wall and his face was met with the god's fist. Oshea staggered into a small table by the couch, bringing a hand to her head where a thin stream of blood was trickling. The stake had fallen from her hand, and she lunged for it, only for her nose to become very acquainted with the god's knuckles. She felt blood burst from her nostrils as she fell onto her knees on the floor. Sam pushed himself up onto his elbows, coughing up blood. Weakly, he turned to look at the others and with a grunt, pushed himself to his feet. He glanced up as his brother was flung into the kitchen, crashing into the table and shattering it when he hit. Reaching over, he grabbed one of the broken legs of the table and gripped it tightly in his shaking hands as he came up behind her. "This is for Jo, bitch." he snarled through his bloodied teeth as he drove the jagged end of the table leg up through her back and out of her chest.

Brianna gasped a little and looked down at the tip of the table leg protruding from her chest. "Crap," She muttered before falling to the floor with a loud thud.

Sam released the table leg and staggered back as she collapsed. He brought the heel of his hand to his forehead as the room began to tilt and blur. Stretching his other hand back, he found the wall behind him and leaned against it to support himself then slowly began to sink down to the floor. Ella groaned a little as she got back to her feet and walked over to Oshea, helping her up. Dean walked over to Sam, glancing down momentarily at Brianna on the floor, then back to his brother.

_xx_

The ride back to the hotel was quiet. Sam fell asleep in the car and went to bed as soon as they got back to the room. He curled up under the thin sheets and comforter, shivering a little and coughing as he passed out again. The effects of the illness had hit him hard after the god's spell had worn off, and he felt completely out of it. The group decided to stay one more night and leave the next morning. After finishing packing her and Dean's things, Oshea climbed into bed after giving Dean a kiss on the cheek.

Once everyone had fallen asleep, Dean pulled on his jacket and shoes and quietly snuck out of the room. The night air was cold as he stepped outside and to the alley behind the motel. "Cas!" He called out, and looked around. "Castiel!" He yelled again.

There was a soft rustling of wings, and the familiar voice spoke behind him. "Dean, I'm here." Castiel said quietly. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, something's wrong," Dean snapped back tiredly. "Sam's sick... dying, actually. Some sort of ghost sickness... everyone keeps saying he's doomed to die and all that crap, and we're running out of ideas, out of options to prove them wrong. Is there any way that you can..." He sighed. "Can you just make him better?"

Castiel looked toward the hotel then lowered his eyes and took a step toward Dean. "Dean, I'm sorry... very sorry. It pains me to say this... you and Sam are my friends...," He lifted his eyes to meet Dean's. "There is nothing I or any angel can do for Sam."

"But you're angels. You bring people back from the dead... hell, you brought me back, you brought Oshea back once. You've healed and helped us more times than we can count, but you can't undo a little ghost sickness?"

Castiel sighed. "Yes, I am an angel, Dean, and yes I have been able to help you in the past. But, Dean, there comes a time when a human's life is simply finished. When they have accomplished what they were meant to accomplish... this is merely Sam's time. I cannot interfere with that even if I could heal him."

Dean looked at him one last time before shaking his head and turning away, walking back to the motel feeling defeated.

_xx_

Oshea Blackwood pulled the Impala to a stop outside of Bobby Singer's home. The Led Zeppelin that had been playing on the car's stereos for the long drive died abruptly as she shut the car off and tugged the keys from the ignition. She rubbed her eyes and turned to look at Dean, who had been napping in the passenger seat. "Dean," She said quietly, giving him a little shake. "Dean, we're here." There had been a change in him since they had left Georgia, but she didn't ask, knowing that he would come to her if he suddenly felt the need to bare his soul. Sam was dozing on and off during the whole ride. He was awake at the moment, but was staring blankly out of the back window.

Ella glanced over at Sam for a moment, worried with how quiet he had been since they found out the prophet was a fake. It had been their only lead in curing Sam, and now they basically had nothing to go on. Her hope was wearing thin but she wasn't going to give up on him, not yet. Not ever. She sighed as he didn't even look her way and she climbed out of the car, standing just outside the car door as she looked in at Sam. "You coming?"

Sam leaned his head against the cool glass and slowly shook his head. "I'm tired," He said quietly. "I'm just going to stay in the car." He still had not gotten over the fact that the prophet had been lying. He had let his guard down, had let himself get a little hopeful. He had entertained the idea that he might actually survive this. That was until he found out that Brianna was a god, and that even she could not do anything for him. He knew that he had to be strong for Ella and Judith and his brother. He had to keep hunting, he had to be the best father and husband he could until he drew his final breath, but for the moment, it was all he could do not to turn a gun on himself and be done with it.

The three other hunters exchanged worried glanced before closing the car doors and walking up to the familiar home. Ella knocked on the door a couple times before stepping on inside, Oshea and Dean following. As soon as they stepped inside, they noticed that there were overturned book shelves and books were scattered everywhere. Wrinkled papers littered the floor and the cushions of the couch and a few pieces were still fluttering in the air. Oshea arched a brow. "Bobby?" She asked, starting to reach for her weapon. The place looked like a bomb had gone off.

Bobby peered out from another room and his eyes widened. "Oh thank God." He vanished from the door for a moment and when he reappeared he was holding out Judith toward them. She was sucking on the end of the stuffed duck and staring with wide eyes. "Take her!"

Dean walked around the room, glancing here and there and then back at Bobby "Geez, Bobby, don't you ever clean?"

Bobby huffed. "Just take the kid and get." He said gruffly, handing the baby back to Ella.

Ella arched a brow as she took Jude back and held her. "Sheesh, who peed in your cornflakes," She muttered.

Dean looked at her. "What?"

She looked back at him. "What? It's an expression."

"Not one I've ever heard before."

"Whatever," She huffed. "Anyway, how was Jude while we were away?" She smiled at Bobby and then her smile faded as she looked around the room again. "Wait... did she...?"

Bobby nodded quickly, glaring a little at the baby. "And she demolished the baby food aisle in the grocery store. Not to mention, I haven't slept since you brought her here."

"Huh, so your baby has superpowers," Dean nodded at Ella. "Demon blood, angel blood...some pretty powerful mojo right there. But we've had her back for a while now and nothing weird has happened. Well," He corrected himself. "Nothing weirder than usual."

"Actually, now that I think of it, there have been little things..." Ella thought for a moment. "That box of takeout food that mysteriously exploded in the backseat of the Impala-"

Dean's eyes widened. "It took three days to get the smell of Chinese food outta my car! Son of a-"

Ella cut him off by clearing her throat and continuing."-random things falling over, breaking. Just things that we've shrugged off. Oh, and let's not forget the little tyke blew up an ultrasound machine before she was even born."

"Yeah, well... aside from blowing things up, she wasn't that bad a kid," Bobby said with a shrug. "But I definitely need a break. So, enjoy. I'm going to try to fix my house and get to sleep. Shoo." He said, waving his hands a bit before moving to fix the fallen shelves in the living room.


	70. Shoot To Thrill

Nearly two months had passed since the encounter with the fake prophet, and things were still the same, if not worse. Oshea and Dean worked a case or two, while Ella stayed behind to take care of Jude, and Sam, who's condition hadn't improved. He tried to keep a brave face about it, smile and shrug it off, but Ella could see right through it. The prophet may have been a bust, but she was determined to find another way. They had a little over eight months to work with, but the sooner they got him healthy, the better. Until then, however, she was going to put his mind off the matter, whether he liked it or not.

"Vampires!"

Dean jumped a little as Ella burst into the room, flinging her arms in the air. "Jesus, woman, we just got your baby to sleep. Forget Jude's superpowers, if you wake her up you'll have MY wrath to deal with."

"Oh please, you have no wrath," She rolled her eyes and plopped down on the couch. "So I just got off the phone with Bobby. Turns out there are some vamps in California that need wasting. And no, I'm not talking about some pansy ass sparkly vamps. An actual nest of vampires. I say we get to driving and go hack up some vamps," She smiled.

Dean looked over at Oshea. "Your sister is truly frightening," He said, shaking his head.

Oshea laughed a little, watching her sister in amusement. "I think she's just going a little stir-crazy. After all, she's been cooped up with Judith and Sam while you and I have been working cases." She laid down the sleeping Judith in the crib the hotel had given them. "I'll start getting things packed into the Impala. Maybe if we start now, we can get through most of the drive with Judith is asleep. That way we won't have to worry about anymore… accidents." She said, referencing the Chinese food incident and the time the Impala's radio had suddenly stopped working when it had been tuned into a station that the baby had not particularly liked.

Sam was laying on his stomach on one of the hotel's beds; his arms were curled beneath the pillow and the sheets were pulled up over his shoulders. Since they had arrived, he had been spending most of his time sleeping. Since the incident with the god, Sam had been sleeping more, and he had started to become weaker. Hearing Ella gushing over the fact that they were going to be chopping the heads of vampires soon, he pushed himself up onto his elbows and rubbed his eyes. "Where are we going?" He asked groggily, watching Oshea step from the room with one of their duffel bags.

"To drop Judith off at Bobby's and then take down a nest of vamps," She sat on the edge of the bed and kissed his cheek. "You up for it?" Dean decided to give the two a moment alone as he grabbed Judith's diaper bag and his own duffle bag and followed Oshea out.

Sam sighed, closing his eyes as her lips brushed his cheek. He hated being like this. He felt like he was in everyone's way. Over the years, he had kept himself in very good shape. It had been a requirement of the job; if you couldn't outrun or outfight the monsters, then all the guns and spells and exorcisms in the world were not going to do you any good. Now, he became winded just doing the basic legwork that came with investigating. He would break into coughing fits while trying to interview the families of victims and witnesses. He, of course, would never let the others know how bad he felt. When he would cough, he'd hide the blood soaked tissues, he'd force himself to eat though food tasted like little more than ashes, he would laugh it off when he had to jog a little to catch up with the others when they were investigating and when he would have to take multiple breaks from digging up graves and just say that he needed to work out more. He nodded, though he felt like he could keep sleeping forever. "Of course. I'm always up for lopping off heads." He smiled at her and leaned forward, kissing her lips lightly. Judith began to cry, and he looked up, placing his hands down beside of himself to stand, but Ella beat him to it. He settled down again on the corner of the bed and watched her pick up the little girl from the cradle. "She's getting so big…"

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up as tall as you one day," She smirked, turning around to him. She sat Judith down on the floor for a moment as she walked over to grab the bottle off the counter. The six month old child stared up at her as she walked away and then sniffled, gazing over to Sam.

"Hey, Jude," Sam said with a little smile. It still blew his mind that the little girl was -his- daughter. That he actually had the family that he had always wanted. Granted, he hadn't expected Judith to have the abilities she did, but that was to be expected with his demon blood and Ella's angelic blood.

She got on her hands and knees and then wobbled to her feet, starting to walk over to him. She got halfway there, reaching out her hands towards him. "Da... da..." She smiled but then lost her balance and fell on her butt, bursting into tears.

Sam's eyes widened, and he leapt up from the bed, dropping down onto the floor in front of her. He picked her up and held her against his chest, standing to his feet. "Ella...," He said, patting Judith's back. "Ella, she... she just... she walked! And talked!"

"I heard," Ella smiled, walking over and kneeling down next to them. She kissed her daughter on her cheek and then looked at Sam. "See? This day has already started off pretty great, and we haven't even gotten to the vamp beheading yet," She smiled and kissed him.

Sam did not want to leave Judith when they went to drop her off at Bobby's. He finally gave her a kiss goodbye and went back to the Impala, climbing in and settling down on the backseat next to Ella for the long drive to California. "So where exactly are these vampires?"

"Uh.. an abandoned house on the edge of Paradise," Ella replied and handed Oshea, who was sitting in the passengers seat, the piece of paper with the address scrawled on it.

"Paradise, huh?" Dean chuckled. "How ir-"

"Yeah, yeah, irony, blah blah blah. Just wake me up when we get there," She smiled sleepily before leaning her head on Sam's shoulder.

_xx_

Upon arriving, Dean parked the Impala at a motel a few houses down, getting together the weapons they would need out of the trunk, which mostly consisted of knives and machetes, and they walked on the back road until they reached the house where the supposed vampire nest was. Much to Ella's delight, she was armed with the largest machete out of the bunch. The four of them stood hidden behind the old building in the backyard.

"Umm... we go in there and.. hack away at everyone that tries to eat us... and we try not to die?" Ella suggested, shrugging.

"That's foolproof," Dean muttered.

Ella scoffed. "Well any of you got a better plan?"

"I think we should split up," Sam said quietly as he looked over the massive building. "Ella and I go in the front and Dean, you and Oshea could come in from the back. We don't want any of them escaping."

"Yeah, that would suck... get it? Suck.. cause of the vampires."

Dean arched a brow at Ella. "Seriously? That's the third vampire joke you've told since we got into town."

Ella sighed. "Fine, ruin my fun. Come on, Sam."

"I thought it was good," Sam said quietly to Ella as they stood up and started toward the front of the building. Oshea stood up and stealthily moved around to the back with Dean. She looked at the door and sighed.

"Darn it. I left my lock picking kit back at the hotel." She said with a little pout. "I am never going to get to use it."

"Tell you what," He said as he stepped back and prepared to kick open the door. "We get back to the motel, I'll give you your pick locking kit and I'll lock you out of the room. How does that sound?"

She grinned a little and shook her head. "Only if I get to have a chicken nuggets Happy Meal afterwards." She replied. She spun the machete in her hand and nodded to him. "Let's go."


	71. Look Alive Sunshine

The cheaply made wooden door flew inwards as Dean kicked it in and stepped inside. Sunlight flooded the living room, which was empty aside from a dingy old couch pushed up against the wall. Dean arched a brow and looked around, stepping inside quietly. The house was dead silent. Oshea frowned as she stepped into the house, staying in the shaft of light that was spilling in from the door. Little pieces of dust swirled in the air, and she looked around slowly, resisting the urge to yell into the house to see if she got an answer.

Sam shouldered his way through the front door then stepped inside, holding his weapons at the ready. When no vampires charged him, he eased himself inside and looked around, seeing a staircase and a long hallway ahead of him. He stopped walking and frowned, hearing nothing. "Ella… are you sure this is the place?"

"I'm sure," She stepped up beside him and frowned, a little disappointed. "Maybe they moved their nest? Heard that we were coming and then got outta here?"

"Don't flatter yourself," A voice from one of the rooms in the hallway said, and a young woman stepped out into the hallway. "I never run from a fight."

Two other women vampires stepped up behind her, along with three male vamps. They all opened their mouths in a smile, their sharp fangs showing. Sam smirked a little and spun his machete. "We were hoping you'd say that."

_xx_

As soon as Oshea took a step out of the light, she moved up the staircase, scattering dust. The light fell over the stairs, and as soon as she stepped out of the light, a strong hand grasped her throat and yanked her onto the darkness of the upstairs hallway. She was flung against the wall, and she slid down, gasping softly.

Dean heard the crash and ran upstairs after her, only to be lunged at by one of the female vampires. Her fangs were moments away from ripping into his throat when he kicked her backwards against the wall and quickly slung the blade of the machete at her throat. Her head fell to the hardwood floor with a thud and he walked over and pulled the weapon free from the wall. Oshea pushed herself up from the floor. "Dean, watch out!"

A male vampire grabbed Dean by the back of the neck and flung him into the hallway. The weak floorboards beneath him snapped and collapsed with him onto the floor below with a crash and a huge cloud of dust. Oshea lifted her weapon and came up behind the male vampire, easily cutting through his throat. His head fell away and rolls across the floor, smearing blood. As the decapitated body fell over, she looked down into the hole Dean had left when he fell. "Dean, are you okay?"

Dean groaned a little, laying on his back as he looked up at Oshea. "Just super."

_xx_

Downstairs, Ella had just taken down two of the female vampires, but there were several more that seemed to come out of nowhere. She turned from the second vampire just as it's head rolled over on the floor and she wiped a little blood off her own face with her sleeve as she turned to look at Sam. Sam had just decapitated a male vampire when he began to cough blood. Another vampire leapt from the shadows and pinned him against the wall. She ran her tongue over his chin and lips, cleaning it of blood. "Mmm…. So good." She whispered, barring her fangs. Sam shifted and pulled his arms out from beneath her, slicing her head off with the blades of the knife and machete. The vampire's head rolled away and blood sprayed onto his clothes and face. Quickly, he wiped it away from his mouth and face.

Ella looked down at the female vampire's head, smirking. "That's what you get for trying to make out with my husband."

Oshea stepped down the hallway, her machete dripping vampire blood from the last two creatures she had killed. She peered into various rooms, double checking that she had found the last of the vampires upstairs. Just as she was about to go back toward the stairs to see if Ella and Sam needed any help when she heard a noise. Whirling, she walked back to the last door and peered inside, seeing something moving in one of the corners. "Come out, vampire! I know you're in h-…" Her voice trailed off when she saw a young boy, looking no more than five years old. He was wearing a tattered black Led Zeppelin shirt with dried blood on it. His hair was very pale blonde and short; his eyes were staring ahead of himself, his eyes grey and milky looking. Oshea's eyes widened, and she lowered her weapons as the boy trembled.

"Dru… Dru..," He whimpered.

An older little girl ran past Oshea and up to the little boy. Her wavy hair was a light shade of brown and she was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a dark purple hoodie. "Thatcher! There you are!" She pulled him into a protective hug and then looked up at Oshea. "Please, don't hurt us."

Thatcher curled his little arms around hers and clung to her. "Please…"

Oshea shook her head. "No, no, I'm not going to hurt you…," She couldn't take her eyes off of the little boy. "Thatcher… are you…? I mean…. can you…?"

The girl shook her head. "No, he can't see," She answered, still watching Oshea carefully. Thatcher shivered, keeping his head down. Oshea put her knife into the sheath that was fastened to her belt and held out her hand.

"Come here, I'm here to help you. Are you both hurt? Where are your parents?"

"We lost them," Thatcher said, still clinging to the girl.

"They were in the hall… you killed them," She said quietly, looking down.

"I'm sorry… they weren't your parents anymore, they were going to hurt you." She said. "Come on, my friends and I are going to get you out of here. You can trust me." Thatcher lifted his head a little and tilted it.

"Should we go, Drusilla?"

Drusilla was quiet a moment before she nodded and followed Oshea out of the room, holding onto her little brother. Thatcher held onto her tightly as he picked his way through the hallway. Oshea laid her hand gently on Drusilla's back and kept her machete at the ready. "We're coming up on the stairs." She said, glancing to Thatcher, who carefully negotiated the stairs.

"Dean?" Oshea called. "Dean!"

"Yeah, I'm down here!" He said, a moment later appearing at the bottom of the stairs. "I think we got all of them, Ella and Sam are checking the basement n-" He paused as he saw the kids. "-now…"

Oshea looked up at Dean, laying her hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Dean… we uh… we have to talk."

"Okay…" He arched a brow. "We need to get rid of these bodies first…. This place is kind of a mess," He nodded towards the living room.

Ella stepped over one of the decapitated vamps and walked over to them. Oshea stroked Drusilla's hair gently, chewing on the corner of her lower lip. "Ella…, could you and Sam take care of the bodies… Dean and I have a couple of things to talk about."

Ella gave her the same look Dean had, but she nodded, looking over at the kids a moment. "Okie dokie… we'll call you when we're done here."

_xx_

The ride back to the hotel was quiet and a little awkward as Dean continued to glance in the rearview mirror at the two kids in the back while Oshea fidgeted a little in the front seat, not looking at him. They made a quick pit stop by a fast food restaurant and Oshea helped the children settle in on her and Dean's bed, stroking Thatcher's pale hair gently. "Okay, Dean and I are going to go outside and talk a minute." Thatcher nodded, chewing contentedly on his French fries. She smiled and stood up, her smile fading into a nervous look as she glanced at Dean and walked from the hotel room.

Dean followed her out and then stopped in front of her. "Okay, Oshea, what is going on? You're kind of freaking me out."

Oshea wrung her hands together, chewing on her lower lip. "Dean…," She gave him a meaningful look. "Dean, can we… I mean… I…"

"…can you… finish your sentence? Yes, please, please do," Dean sighed.

"Can we keep them?" She blurted.

Dean stared at her for a moment. "Can you keep the- Oshea, they're children. Human being children. Not puppies!"

"I killed their parents, Dean. They're all alone," She said quickly. "And Thatcher… Dean, that little boy is blind!"

"Their parents were vampires! You can't possibly be blaming yourself for this."

Oshea lowered her eyes and stared at her hands. "I think the little girl saw me kill them." She said very quietly. "What are we supposed to do? Just dump them off somewhere? Vampires or not, I took away their family… the people …. The things that were taking care of them…"

Dean sighed again. "Look, I get it, you feel bad. I do too. And the last thing I wanna do is just dump the kids off somewhere. But do you honestly see us bringing more kids on the road with us. Jude enough is a handful."

Oshea kept her eyes down, "Dean… you know if things had gone differently, we would have been bringing along another kid anyway." She swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, but I can't just leave them." Lifting a hand, she brushed some of her hair behind her ear. "I couldn't protect our baby… but I can protect them. They're here, they're alive… and I… I just can't abandon them."

"Don't try to guilt trip me, Oshea. That wasn't your fault," Dean rubbed the back of his neck and sighed for the third time. "Okay, fine. We can take care of them for now. I don't know how we're going to get anything done, like, ever, but you're right. We can't just leave them here."

"I'm not trying to guilt trip you, Dean." She said with a sigh. "I mean it. You don't know how bad I feel about…" She laid her hands against her flat stomach. "I beat myself up about it everyday… I shouldn't have been out there, I know the job is dangerous… we get thrown around on a regular basis, I should have known better. This… this is a way I can make up for that. I can do right by these kids." At his answer, she walked to him and curled her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly. "Thank you… we'll figure something out…"

Though he wasn't entirely convinced, he nodded. "And if not, you could always show up on Bobby's doorstep with them and burst into tears. I'm sure he'd choose two extra kids to take care of over watching you cry, any day," He smirked.

Oshea smiled and shook her head. "Very true. I'm going to go in and tell them the good news." She leaned up and kissed Dean's lips before turning and dashing back into the hotel room. She closed the door behind her. Thatcher tilted his head a little as she walked in.

"What's gonna happen to us?"

"You're both going to stay with us," Oshea said with a smile, walking to him and stroking back his hair. "If that's okay with you both…?" Thatcher smiled and nodded. Oshea looked over to the girl and walked toward her. "Drusilla?"

Drusilla watched her warily a few moments. "Where would we be living?"

"Well… we travel a lot so… hotel rooms, mostly, but we have a friend who has a big house where you can stay sometimes with my niece." She said with a small smile. "Is that okay?"

"Okay…" Drusilla said quietly. She looked down at her empty Happy Meal bag and frowned. "I'm still hungry…"

Oshea sat down on the side of the bed, resting her hands in her lap. "Okay, is there anything I can get for you? We can order something from the room service menu…"

"No, I'm hungry now…" The young girl stared at Oshea for several moments, swallowing. "So hungry…" Before Oshea knew it, Drusilla had lunged at her neck, biting down deeply as she began to drink.


	72. Disenchanted

Dean had just gotten off the phone with Sam when he heard Oshea's scream. The door flew open as he ran inside. Oshea was sitting on the bed, a hand pressed against her neck. Blood was staining her fingers and was staining the collar and front of her shirt.

"What the hell happened?" But the blood smeared around the young girl's mouth answered Dean's question. Drusilla had been pushed to the floor and was hungrily licking blood off her finger.

Oshea swallowed hard, grimacing in pain. "Dean…," She began slowly, standing up and lifting a hand. "Let's not do anything rash…"

"_Anything rash?_" Dean repeated incredulously, walking into the room and stepping over to Oshea. He pulled off his unbuttoned flannel, leaving on the black t-shirt. He pressed the other shirt onto the wound on Oshea's neck, glancing down at Drusilla for a moment before looking back at Oshea. "She just gnawed on your neck!"

Oshea lowered her bloodied hand and flinched as he pressed the shirt to her neck. She held it there then glanced over at Drusilla. She shook her head. "She didn't mean to…," She said quietly.

"She didn-" Dean threw up his arms in exasperation. He pulled up Drusilla by her arm and took her into the bathroom, slightly shoving her inside and then closing the door. He propped up a chair against the doorknob so that she couldn't escape and moved past Thatcher who sat quietly on the bed, to Oshea, pulling her out of the room again. "Oshea, I know you lost a little bit of blood, and maybe you're a little lightheaded… so I'll clear this up for you. She," He gestured to the door of the room. "Is a vampire."

"Dean… Dean…," Oshea said, watching Dean drag the girl into the bathroom. She sighed and lowered her eyes. "Dean, I know what you're thinking, but you can't…"

"Oh I not only can, but I'm going to. What are you expecting me to do? Huh?"

Oshea stood up and shook her head, moving to stand in front of the bathroom door. "I'm not going to let you kill her. She is a _child_, Dean… a _child_. You can't kill an innocent child."

"She isn't a child anymore, she's the monster that killed the child. That isn't some innocent little girl in there, _Oshea."_

Tears gathered in Oshea's eyes, and she shook her head. "Dean, you can't kill her… please…"

"Don't do this," He shook his head.

"Dean…," She looked up at him. "There has to be another way…"

"There is no other way, you know that," He sighed. "I'm sorry."

Oshea stared at him a moment then slowly stepped to the side, leaning against the wall beside the door. Dean watched her move aside and then walked past her into the room, grabbing his machete out of the duffle bag by the door. He moved the chair from the door and stepped inside. Oshea cupped a hand against her mouth, moving over to the bed where Thatcher sat, looking a little pale. "What's going on?" He whispered. Oshea sat down beside of him and pulled him into her lap, curling her arms around him and clinging to him.

"It's okay… everything's going to be okay…"

When Ella and Sam returned to the motel a little over an hour later, the room was quiet. They could feel the tension in the room just as they stepped in the door. Oshea was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard and holding the little boy in her arms. He was sleeping against her chest, and Oshea was staring over him, stroking his hair.


	73. Hold On Loosely

Dean pulled the Impala into Bobby's driveway yet again, and all of them got out of the car and walked up to Bobby's doorstep. Since Ella and Sam had both been feeling bad about being away from Jude so much, after the vamp nest they all decided to immediately pack up and head back to Bobby's to figure out what to do next. Bobby arched a brow as he opened the door and saw the little boy in Oshea's arms.

"Since when did my house become a daycare center?"

Sam shook his head, smiling slightly. "Don't worry, Bobby. Ella and I are going to get Jude and do the family thing."

Oshea looked up at him, "But… it would be nice if you'd keep an eye on Thatch for us."

Bobby's brows rose and he looked from the little boy to Dean, questioningly.

"Hey don't look at me," Dean said, shaking his head and gesturing at Oshea quickly.

"Do we really need to get into the whole long story?" Oshea said with a sigh. "Will you please watch him for me?"

"I… guess…"

Dean nodded. "Thanks, Bobby."

Ella stepped past Bobby and walked into the living room to check on Jude. Oshea sat Thatcher down inside the house, explaining that they would be back in a few days. Thatcher just nodded slowly without saying a word. Sam walked in after Ella, and Oshea stepped back out to Dean. "Alright… Bobby, Dean and I are going to Minnesota. There've been a few disappearances there and we're going to check it out."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, we'll be back in a few days. We'll try not to bring back another kid," He joked, turning from the door.

_xx  
HIBBING, MINNESOTA  
xx _

Oshea stepped into the small hotel room and moved to one of the beds, setting down the duffel bag she had carried in. It had been a long, quiet ride to Hibbing with Led Zeppelin filling the awkward silences. She ran her fingers through her hair and sat down at the end of the bed. She unzipped her bag and pulled out a pile of clothes before disappearing into the bathroom. When she returned, she was wearing a light green button down tucked into brown slacks with a stripe down the side. She pushed her feet into the dress shoes and grabbed the thick, leather jacket and hat. "So who is it that we're talking to again?"

"Michelle Mckay and her son, Evan," He replied, pulling on the jacket of his suit. He looked up at her as she walked back in the room. "You ready?"

Oshea nodded and placed her hat on, starting toward the door. "Yeah. Let's go."

After talking with the young boy and her mother, they stopped at Kugel's Keg, a small but crowded bar on the way back to the motel. Oshea sat at the table, sipping at a beer and looking down at a newspaper while Dean stood nearby the table, throwing darts at a board on the wall.

"So the police haven't ruled out foul play, apparently there were signs of a struggle." Oshea said, leaning her chin a against her hand.

Dean glanced back at her a moment before turning and throwing another dart. "You know, this might not be our kinda gig. They could be right. Might just be a kidnapping."

"You're right… except…," She furrowed her brows. "It's marked in your father's journal as…possible hunting grounds for a phantom attacker…. Apparently, he found a lot of local folklore about a dark figure that comes out at night, grabs people then vanishes." She took a sip of her beer then continued. "He found out that this county has more missing persons per capita than anywhere else in the state."

"That is weird," Dean said after a moment. "But don't phantom travelers usually snatch people from their beds? Jenkins was taken from a parking lot."

"Well, you know, there're all kinds. Springheeled Jack, Phantom Gassers, they take people from anywhere, anytime. Dean, I don't know if this is really our kind of gig either…" She said, closing the journal.

"Yeah, you're right," Dean nodded, pulling the darts free from the board and standing by the table again. "We should ask around more tomorrow."

"Alright. So, should we get back to the room?" She stood up and took a few of the darts from him. "Do some more research…" Her voice trailed off as she threw her dart and it hit the center of the board. "I think I've embarrassed you enough tonight, don't you think?" She said with a little grin.

"Beginner's luck," He rolled his eyes. "Let's stay a while, have another round."

She arched a brow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Mr. Winchester, you're not trying to get me drunk are you?"

"…Nah, of course not," Dean turned away, slightly embarrassed.

She smiled and curled her arms around his waist from behind, leaning up and over his shoulder to kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear. "You don't have to get me drunk, you know…" She pulled away and grabbed the journal off of the table. "I'm going to head out to the car. Finish up in here and we can go back to the hotel… I'm sure we can think of something to pass the time until tomorrow." She grinned at him and turned to walk out, her heels clicking against the floor.

Dean's eyes widened a bit and he watched her leave, tilting his head a little and smirking.

Oshea chuckled as she stepped outside, humming to herself as she started through the dark parking lot toward the Impala. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tube of lip gloss, coating her lips with the pale pink, shimmering gloss. As she was screwing the top back on, a loud noise startled her, causing her to drop the container onto the asphalt. The gloss rolled away a little, and Oshea looked around, glancing toward a group of seedy looking men and women on motorcycles that were staring at her. Shivering a little in her spaghetti string, low collared black tank, she pulled out a small flashlight and sank down into a crouch. A tabby cat snarled and struck out at her with one of its clawed paws. She gasped sharply and jerked back. Chuckling to herself, she stood up and started walking to the Impala and setting down the journal on the back.

Dean stepped outside of Kugel's Keg, walking past the abandoned motorcycles to the Impala. His brows furrowed when he saw the journal on the trunk. He opened the car down, glancing inside to see that no one was there. He looked around quickly, walking up past the bar and asking a few of the bikers of they had seen Oshea. After several more minutes of walking around and calling out her name, he was starting to panic a little.

"Oshea!" He looked around and then a security camera next to a street light caught his attention. He stepped out into the middle of the road and stood there, glancing around.


	74. Accident Prone

"So what can I do for you, Officer Washington?" The deputy sheriff looked up at him. Her dark hair was pulled back neatly.

"I'm working a missing persons…" Dean replied. "My cousin, we were having a few last night at this bar down by the highway and I haven't seen her since."

The deputy nodded, "Okay… your cousin, does she have a drinking problem?"

"Not with alcohol…" Dean muttered. When the sheriff gave him a funny look, he cleared his throat and shook his head. "No, no she wasn't drunk. She was taken."

"Alright, what's her name?" The deputy said as she went around the desk and sat down at her computer.

"Oshea Blackwood," He said, sitting down in front of the desk.

"Alright," The deputy pressed a few keys on the key board, typing out the name. "Oshea Blackwood… red hair… green eyes… oh… wow," She said, arching a brow. "She seems to have a record… she was taken in on grounds of indecent exposure… streaking outside of some gym?" She glanced up at Dean.

Dean arched a brow and leaned forward. "What now?"

"Your cousin was running around naked in a gym in Scotland." The deputy repeated. "You're sure about the nonalcoholic thing? Does she do any drugs?"

Dean tried to hide the amused smile the best he could. "No.. no drugs. I'm sure."

"Well, she's not showing up in any field reports," The deputy said, glancing over at him.

"Oh I already have a lead. There was a surveillance camera by the highway."

"Uh-huh, county traffic cam." The deputy nodded and stood from the seat.

Dean nodded. "Right, yeah, that. I'm thinking the camera picked up whatever took her. Or whoever," He added quickly.

"Well, I have access to the traffic cam footage down at the County Works Department. But, well, in the meantime, let's do this the right way." She walked to the file cabinet behind her and grabbed a clipboard and a pen. "Why don't you fill out a missing persons report and sit tight over here."

Dean sighed as he stood up from the chair and took the clipboard from her. "Officer, look, uh.. She's family. You gotta let me come with you."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that."

"Well, tell me something.." He looked down at his feet and then back at her. "Your county has its fair share of missing persons… any of them come back?" At her lack of response, he continued. "Like I said… she's family. She's coming back. I'm not losing her again. I'm bringing her back."

_xx_

"Greg, I think we've got something." The deputy, Kathleen, stepped from the County Works building, holding a handful of printed pages. "These traffic cameras take pictures every three seconds. It's part of the AMBER alert program. These images were all taken around the time that your cousin Oshea disappeared." She said, handing him the pictures.

Dean shuffled through the pages. "Uh, this isn't really what I'm looking for."

"Just wait. Wait. Next one." She said, making a circular motion with her hand. "This one," She tapped the picture of an old truck with a large trailer attached at the back. "Was taken right after Oshea left the bar. Look at the back end of that thing. Now look at the plates."

"They look new… so they're probably stolen," He said with a nod.

"So whoever's driving this rust bucket must be involved."

Dean glanced behind him as a rusty black van drove by, the engine screeching loudly. "Hear that engine?"

"Yeah?"

"Kind of a whining growl, isn't it?" He thought aloud, still watching the van drive away.

"Sure."

"Well I'll be damned."

_xx_

"The next traffic cam is 50 miles from here, and your pickup didn't pass that one." The deputy said, glancing over to Dean then back as they drove down the long stretch of dark road.

"So it must have pulled off somewhere," Dean said, looking down at a map in his hands. "I don't see any other roads here, though."

"Well a lot of these backwoods properties have their own private roads."

"Great…"

As they spoke, the car's computer beeped, and Kathleen looked down, tapping a few keys. She glanced back at the road. "So Gregory. I ran your badge number. It's routine when we're working a case with state police for accounting purposes and what have you. And uh, they just got back to me." She said as she pulled the police car over and stopped it in the middle of the woods. "Says here your badge was stolen. And there's a picture of you." She said, turning the computer so that he could see the heavy set black male that was pictured.

Dean quickly glanced from the picture up to the woman, fidgeting a little. "I.. I lost some weight. And I got that Michael Jackson skin disease-"

"Okay then, would you step out of the car, please?"

"Look, look look," He said quickly. "If you wanna arrest me, that's fine. I'll cooperate. But first, please, let me find Oshea."

"I don't even know who you are. Or if this Oshea person is missing."

"Look into my eyes. And tell me if I'm lying about this."

"Identity theft? You're impersonating an officer."

Dean sighed as thunder boomed loudly outside of the vehicle. "I'm just afraid if we don't find her fast… Please.. She's my family."

"I'm sorry. You've given me no choice. I have to take you in." She sighed, glancing up toward a picture that was clipped to her visor. "After we find Oshea."

_xx_

"Wait, w-w-wait. Pull over here. Pull over."

The sheriff's car pulled off to the side of the road and just as it came to a stop, Dean got out of the vehicle, walking over to the edge of what looked like a long driveway. "This is the first turn off I've seen so far."

"You stay here. I'll check it out." The deputy said as she started to walk down the gravel driveway.

"No way," Dean shook as head as he walked along next to her.

"Hey. You're a civilian. And a felon, I think. I'm not taking you with me."

"You're not going without me."

"Alright." She said with a sigh. "You promise you won't get involved? You'll let me handle it?"

"Yeah, I promise." Dean nodded.

"Shake on it?" She said offering her hand to him. As soon as he gave her his hand, Kathleen slapped a cuff around his wrist and dragged him back to the car, hooking the other cuff to the handle of the door before locking it. She turned and started around the car and back down the driveway.

"This is ridiculous," Dean muttered. "Kathleen, I really think you're gonna need my help!"

"I'll manage, thank you." She said, glancing back at him once more before disappearing down the path between the trees.

Dean glanced down at the door handle that he was cuffed to and tried to jerk free for a moment. He sighed and turned away. "I gotta start carrying paper clips."

Shortly after she had left, the car's antenna caught his attention, and he leaned against the car, stretching his arm across the roof of the car. Just as he was getting close, an engine screeched in the distance, and he cursed as he continued to reach for the antenna. He finally grabbed ahold of it and twisted it, pulling it free. After dropping it on the ground, he quickly grabbed for it and unlocked the handcuffs.

_**A/N: When Lauren and I write this story, we tend to add in random cases from previous seasons that we haven't written. Which is why this case is basically the Benders, as you've probably noticed, except it's Oshea, and not Sam that gets taken. We like to rewrite episodes and change them around a little to work for our story. We've done it before in previous chapters, and we will probably continue to do so here and there a little bit further in the story. All credit for the dialogue from those episodes goes to the writers of SN, obviously.**_


	75. Gone Shootin'

Kathleen groaned softly as she awoke inside of an iron cage in a dark barn like structure. Her coat and uniform shirt were gone, leaving her only in her white t-shirt and uniform slacks. She ran a hand through her hair, which had been pulled from the neat bun it had been in. "You alright?" The deputy looked across the room at the other cage, where a young woman was sitting, wearing a thin black tank and dark denim skinny jeans that fell down to sharp heeled shoes.

"You're Oshea Blackwood? Aren't you?"

"Yeah," The other woman said quietly not moving from where she leaned against the bars.

"Your, uh, cousin is looking for you."

Oshea closed her eyes a moment. "Thank God. Where is he?"

"I uh…," She looked down and cradled her forehead against her palm, leaning her elbow against her knee. "Cuffed him to my car."

Oshea sighed heavily, and they both looked up as the door suddenly creaked open. They could hear footsteps entering the building, and Oshea stiffened, sitting up some.

Dean glanced around the room, walking further into the barn until he saw a familiar face inside one of the cages. "Oshea?" He hurried over and placed his palms against the iron of the cage. "Are you hurt?"

She smiled and crawled over to him, putting her fingers through the spaces between the bars and curled them around his hand. "No… no, I'm okay."

"Damn, it's good to see you," Dean said quietly.

"How did you get out of the cuffs?" Kathleen asked, her brows furrowing.

"Oh, I know a trick or two," Dean said, looking back at her cage. He moved over to the lock on Oshea's cage, frowning. "These locks look like they're gonna be a bitch."

"Well, there's some kind of automatic control right there," Oshea said, sticking her hand through the space between the bars and pointing toward a small metal box that was attacked to a pole in the middle of the room.

Dean looked over to the box and nodded, looking back to Oshea. "Have you seen them?"

"Yeah… Dean, these are just… _people_. Like… _people_ people_._" She said, shaking her head.

"What do they want?"

"I don't know," She admitted. "Jenkins, the guy we were looking for to begin with… they let him go, but that was some kind of trap. I could hear him screaming and then he didn't come back… It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Yeah, well, that's the point," Dean replied, , "You know, with our usual playmates there's- there's rules, there's patterns. But with people…" After pressing a few buttons in the small metal box, he closed its door with a sigh. "They're just crazy." He glanced over to Kathleen's cage and back to Oshea's. "Let's get you guys out of here, and then we'll take care of those bastards. This thing take a key?" He gestured over to the lock and looked at Oshea.

She shook her head. "I don't know…"

"All right. I better go find it," He said, starting back to the door.

"Dean!" Oshea said, grasping the bars as she looked at him. "Be careful…"

He nodded at her and turned from them, walking through the door.

_xx_

Dean turned his head a moment as the light from the flashlight he was holding pointed towards his face shined directly in his eyes. After seeing dots for several moments, his started to venture further into the dark, cluttered basement of the house. He pointed the flashlight towards a cheaply made shelf which held jars of various disgusting looking fluids. "Yikes."

He moved past the shelf, looking at the large collage of photographs that mostly featured two men standing over a dead body, smiles on each of the man's faces. "Well I'll say it again," Dean said as he put one of the photographs he had been looking at down. "Demons I get. People are crazy."

He started up the basement stairs, the steps creaking beneath his boots.

Old upbeat piano music played from somewhere in the old home, if you could call a place like that a home, along with a clanking noise coming from the kitchen. Dean crept past the doorway, noticing an older man wearing dirty clothes and a red hat, with his back turned to him. As he was walking, he bumped into something hanging from the ceiling. He quickly grabbed it to stop it from rattling. "What the…?" He got a better look at it. Human bones. He continued down the hall, picking up a tall piece of wood that was propped up against the wall, and held it defensively in his hands. He started for the small box on the dresser in what seemed to be the living room. He reached for it but picked up a jar full of human teeth. Grimacing, he sat it back down, just as he heard the floor creak behind him. He quickly turned around to see a young girl with messy long brown hair. She gasped quietly as Dean moved towards her.

"Shh, I'm not gonna hurt you," He said, taking a step through the doorway.

She pulled a small knife out from behind her back and smirked. "I know," She stabbed the knife through the lower part of his jacket, pinning it to the wall. "Daddy!"

"Jeez!" Dean grunted as he jerked the knife free.

One of the men from the pictures stepped out into the hallway, running towards him. Another man came up and picked Dean up from behind. Dean lifted up his legs and kicked at the other man who was running up to him. The man grunted and fell backwards, hitting the floor just as the man who was holding Dean slammed him up against the edge of the doorframe and then threw him across the room. Dean hit the wall. He quickly got to his feet and pushed his attacker, then punched the other one, only to be tackled and thrown to the ground. He stood up and pointed at one of the men. "I'm gonna kick your ass first," He said, and then pointed to the other. "And then yours."

Just as he said that, the older man from the kitchen stepped up behind him in the doorway and hit him over the head with a wrench.

_xx_

When Dean woke up, dried blood streaming from a cut on his forehead, He was in a chair with his hands tied behind his back. The two men who had been attacking him were in the room, along with the older man and the little girl.

"Come on, let us hunt him," One of the younger men said, putting his hands on the shoulder of the older man.

"Yeah, this one's a fighter. Sure would be fun to hunt."

The older, bearded man chuckled, revealing the rotting teeth in his mouth.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me… you yahoos hunt people?"

"You ever killed before?" The older man smirked, raising his eyebrows.

"Well that depends on what you mean," Dean replied.

"I've hunted all my life. Just like my father, his before him. I've hunted deer and bear, even got a cougar once. But the best hunt… is human. Oh there's nothing like it. Holding their life in your hands, seeing the fear in their eyes just before they go dark. Makes you feel powerful.. Alive."

"You're a sick puppy," Dean said, looking at the man with disgust.

The man looked surprised, and he stood to his feet. "We give 'em a weapon, give 'em a fighting chance. It's kind of like our own tradition, passed down father to son. Of course, only one or two a year. Never enough to bring the law down. We never been that sloppy."

"Oh, yeah, well, don't sell yourself short," Dean muttered. "You're plenty sloppy."

The man leaned forward, getting close to his face. "You a cop?"

Dean chuckled. "If I tell you… you promise not to make me into an ashtray?"

One of the younger man stepped up and struck him across the face, and then stepped back as the older man continued to speak.

"Only reason I don't let my boys take you right here and now, is there's something I need to know."

"Oh yeah? How about it's not nice to marry your sister."

"Tell me… any other cops gonna come looking for you?" He asked him.

"Ah, eat me," Dean muttered. "No no wait you actually might."

The man who had punched him stepped forward and gripped onto Dean's short hair and held his other hand under his chin, keeping him still.

"You think this is funny?" The older man walked over holding an iron rod, the tip of which was glowing red and white from being stuck in the fire. "You brought this down on my family," He looked at him for a moment. "All right. You wanna play games? We'll play some games. Looks like we're gonna have a hunt tonight, after all, boys," He smirked at Dean. "And you get to pick the animal. The girl, or the cop."

"Okay, wait wait, look, nobody's coming for me. It's just us."

"You don't choose, I will." The man said before sticking the rod against Dean's chest. Smoke rose from the newly burned hole in his shirt as Dean cried out in pain.

"Oh! Oh, you son of a bitch!"

The man moved the tip of the rod dangerously close to Dean's eye. "Next time, I'll take an eye."

"All right, all right, take the girl. The girl," Dean said quickly. The younger man let go of Dean and took a step back.

The older man quickly pulled a necklace over his head and handed it to the younger man, the key dangling from the chain. "Lee. Go do it. Don't let her out though. Shoot her in the cage." The man nodded and started to walk from the room.

"What? I thought you said you were gonna hunt her?" Dean asked, panic in his voice. "You gotta at least give her a chance."

"Lee, when you're done with her, shoot the other one too," The older man said as Lee grabbed the shotgun and walked out and stepped into the barn.


	76. Kick In The Teeth

Oshea lifted both of her hands and rubbed her bare arms, trying to warm herself as her breath spilling from her nostrils and lips in little clouds. Kathleen looked at her with a frown. "Are you okay?"

Oshea looked up and nodded, forcing a smile. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Shouldn't have left my coat in the bar." She immediately stiffened as she heard someone entering the barn. When the man came toward the cage, she leaned back and crawled backwards toward the short wall of the cage. When the lock fell and the man pulled the door open, she grabbed a piece of metal from the floor of the cage and threw it at him as he fired the gun. The bullet ricocheted off of the cage, and Oshea lurched forward, pushing him aside and dashing through the barn door and into the night. The cold wind cut through her as she ran into the woods, hearing the sound of the man coming after her.

"I'm gonna get you, you bitch."

Oshea swallowed hard, running as fast as she could between the trees. Branches snapped against her arms, slicing through her skin. The cold air was burning her lungs, and her feet, still pressed inside the stiletto heels, were killing her. She came to a halt and pushed herself behind one of the trees, leaning against it and pulling off her shoes. One she left on the ground, but the other she grasped in her hand like a weapon. She pressed herself tightly against the trunk of the tree as she heard Lee carefully stepping through the woods toward her. "Here kitty, kitty… come out, come out wherever you are." When he stepped by the tree, Oshea whirled and drove the heel of the shoe into his shoulder. She leaned forward and smashed her forehead against his, driving her knee into his midsection and trying to get the gun. He staggered and yanked the gun away from her. Swinging it, he slammed the barrel into the side of her head. Oshea grunted and staggered backwards, pain burning in her cheek and brow. She could feel a little blood running down the side of her face.

She only hoped that Kathleen would somehow be able to escape. Turning, she started to run when she heard the gun fire. The trunk of the tree next to her exploded, and she jerked away, running faster. "You're gonna pay for that!" The hunter screamed at her, and she heard the gun cock before another shot rang out. The bullet tore through her left thigh, and she could not hold back a scream. Immediately, she dropped to the ground, writhing in pain as she held onto her leg. Blood poured from the new wound and stained the earth beneath her. Oshea panted heavily, grunting as she crawled from the path behind another tree.

Looking down at the wound, she placed a hand over it, trying to stop the steady stream of blood. She could still hear Lee rummaging through the woods, looking for her. Grabbing the tree trunk behind her, she pulled herself to her feet, ignoring the pain that shot through her leg and began to hobble as quickly as she could between the trees. She clamped a hand over her nose and mouth as she hid behind another tree.

Her whole body was trembling, and her feet were aching from running through the woods barefoot. She was so cold. Her ears were hurting and her cheeks were starting to go numb along with her fingers. The trunk of the tree she was leaned against burst as another bullet tore passed her face. She dipped down and broke away again, trying to run, but she tripped and collapsed to the ground. When he stepped over to her, he grabbed her hair and flung her onto her back. She looked up at him and kicked out her good leg, kicking him hard between the legs. As he dropped, she grabbed the gun and managed to wrestle it away from him, shooting him in the chest. The man collapsed to the ground beside her, and Oshea swayed, falling back onto the ground and clinging to the gun with her red, numbing fingers.

_xx_

"If you hurt her, I will kill you all!" Dean called after the older man who stepped away from Dean's chair and over to the door. "I will kill you _all!"_

"Lee!" The man yelled, hearing the noise coming from the barn and the gunshots outside. He sighed and turned his head back to them. "Jared, you come with me," He nodded towards the man standing by the chair Dean sat in. "Missy, you watch him now."

The little girl smiled and nodded, turning towards Dean and twirling the tiny blade in his face.

_xx_

As the two men stepped into the barn, they found the cages that had been holding the red-head and the cop were empty, and Lee was nowhere to be seen. They called his name as they moved into the barn, holding their guns. Just as the younger male stepped near the edge of the hayloft, Kathleen leapt down onto him and threw him to the ground. The male flung her off and they both stood up, wrestling with the gun. Jared struck her with the barrel then shoved her back, lifting the gun and aiming it toward her. Her eyes widened and she dropped down to the floor just as he shot. The bullet struck his father instead, and the elder man lurched backward sharply, blood pooling beneath his wounded shoulder. The male's eyes widened, and Kathleen stood up again, punching him in the face and yanking the gun from his hands. Lifting the weapon, she smashed it against his face, sending Jared to the floor.

After tying the men to the pole in the center of the room, Kathleen lowered the gun and stared at the elder male. "Why… why have you been doing this?" She said, her eyes narrowed.

He chuckled and grinned, flashing his rotten teeth. " 'Cause it's fun."

The deputy ground her teeth together, lifting the gun again and shooting the man in the chest. As he slumped forward, she lowered the weapon and stepped from the barn. She walked carefully into the home and soon found Dean and the little girl. She gestured to Dean to be quite and came up behind the girl, lifting the gun and bringing down the butt of the weapon onto the back of her head. As the girl collapsed, she caught her and dragged her over to a nearby coat closet. She tossed the girl inside and closed the door, pushing a chair over and propping it beneath the knob. Looking over to Dean, she sighed. "This is why I told you to stay back at the car." She said with a little smile, going over to untie him.

"Yeah, yeah," He muttered, and when she had untied him, he stood from the chair and looked around. "Where is Oshea?"

"One of them came into the barn for her. She got away and he chased her. There were gun shots…," She said quietly, her voice trailing off.

Dean's eyes widened a little and without another word he broke into a run out of the house and past the barn into the woods. He ignored the ice cold wind that blew against him as he ran further through the woods. He suddenly found himself tripping over the body of Lee, and hitting the ground hard. He scrambled to his feet as he saw Oshea laying on the ground not far from where he was. He moved over to her quickly, kneeling down and putting a hand on her back, sitting her upright. "Are you okay?"

Oshea was pale and trembling violently, her fingers frozen closed around the gun. She looked up as Dean moved to her. "D-d-dean…," She said, her teeth chattering slightly. "It's cold…" She murmured. Sticky blood had completely saturated the left leg of her jeans and was pooling on the ground beside of her. "Dean, I'm really cold…"

"It's okay, you'll be okay," His eyes wandered down to the bullet wound in her leg and the blood staining her jeans. "Come on, we're getting out of here," He said, putting one hand under the back of her neck and the other under her legs, picking her up off the ground and starting out of the woods. Oshea slowly forced herself to release the gun and let it fall to the forest floor. She curled her arms around his neck, shivering.

"We need to get you to a hospital. The sheriff's car is parked just up the pathway on the side of the road. We'll go find her and have her drive us there," He said, shivering a little as he carried her out of the woods and started walking up to the house where the sheriff was standing on the porch waiting on them.

She shook her head a little, her head resting against his chest. "No… no h.. hospitals. Just take me back to the room. I'm done with hospitals."

Dean glanced down at her a moment. "But you need a-" He sighed and then nodded. "Okay, I'll patch you up at the motel."

"Th-thank you…. Thank you," She breathed, closing her eyes. Kathleen's eyes widened as she saw Oshea.

"Oh my God, is that blood? Is she okay?"

Dean cleared his throat. "Oh.. Yeah. It's that guy's, Lee's blood. He uh, attacked her in the woods, and she shot him… She's just cold. I need to get her back to the motel we're staying at."

She looked at Oshea skeptically a moment then nodded. "Okay. The car's just down the path, it has heat so we can warm her up." She said, pulling out her keys to her car as she started down the dirt path.


	77. Can I Sit Next To You Girl

Not long after, Kathleen dropped the two of them off at the motel. She still didn't seem entirely convinced that she should leave them both there, but Dean assured her they would be fine, and that they just needed a good night's rest. He carried Oshea into the motel room, kicking the door closed behind him and carrying her to the bed, laying her down gently. He turned from her a moment, digging through his duffle bag on the floor for the first aid kit.

Oshea had warmed up while in the car, and had stopped shivering. She was very pale from losing so much blood. She had been able to force a smile and convince the deputy that she was going to be fine despite the fact that she had to have Dean carry her into the hotel room. She explained that her legs were still a bit tingly. As Dean laid her down and went to find the first aid kit, she sighed, sinking weakly against the pillows. "Dean…," She murmured, her voice a little slurred. "I want to talk to you about something."

Dean glanced up at her and then back down at the first aid kit he pulled out. He stood up and walked back to the bed, sitting on the edge of it. "Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry…," She said, unzipping her pants and pulling them down her hips. She grimaced and cried out a little as she peeled the fabric away from the wound where some of the blood had clotted and stuck. Fresh blood started to ooze from the wound and she pulled off the jeans, pushing them beneath the wound to keep the blood from getting on the bed sheets. "I'm sorry about… about Thatcher… you're not ready for kids… I don't know if you'll ever want them, and I shouldn't… shouldn't have pushed this on you…"

"You don't have to apologize," Dean said, shaking his head as he started to clean up the wound, and get out the needle and thread to stitch it up. "The kid didn't have anywhere to go."

She grimaced as he cleaned the wound and gritted her teeth. Sighing, she sank back against the pillows until she saw the needle. "Dean, that's a needle." She pulled back a little. "A _needle_!"

Dean arched a brow. "Uh… yes? What did you expect when you got shot and begged me to take you back here, instead of the hospital?"

"One of the reasons I didn't want to go to the hospital _because _of needles." She said with a little frown.

He looked at her with an amused smile and shook his head. "Sorry," He said before he started to stitch the wound together.

She bit her lip and looked up toward the ceiling, trying not to look at the needle. "I decided that… well… I'm going to try to find Thatcher's real family." She said softly. "Do some research… search the internet… you know."

He nodded, glancing up at her for a moment. "That's good," He said quietly. "If he has any family out there they're probably worried about him."

She leaned her head against the headboard and sighed. "I know. You were right, Dean… he's not just some stray I can keep…" She didn't want to tell Dean, but the more she saw Ella and Sam with Judith, the more she wanted a family of her own. It didn't matter though, Thatcher had his own family somewhere, and since she had killed his parents and they had had to kill his sister, it was her job to fix things and find his real family so he could be taken care of.

He wasn't sure what to say, so he stayed quiet while he finished patching up her leg. When he finished, he gently pulled away her bloodied jeans out from under her leg and tossed them in the trash can, and then he got up on the bed, laying next to her. "You know… your sister is going to kill me."

She looked over at him and scooted closer, carefully shifting her leg over. She laid her head against his chest and laid her hand against his abdomen. "We don't have to tell her about this." She said, tilting her head back to look up at him.

"That's might be best. She can be scary when she's angry," He said with a little smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Though, I'm pretty sure she's gonna know something's up when you start limping around."

"Oh, I think we can come up with something to tell her."

"So, Oshea, do you like gyms?" Dean said suddenly.

Oshea arched a brow and looked over at him. "Gyms? I guess… why?"

"No reason," He paused a moment then continued, the corners of his lips turning up just slightly as he tried to hide a smile. "What were… uh, what were the gyms like in Scotland?"

"Dean, why are you suddenly interested in the condition of Scotland's physical fitness centers?"

He scoffed. "What? I'm not. I'm totally not. But they're nice, aren't they? Like, nicer than the ones here? Perfect place to work out, run around, clothing optional…" He could not hold back the smile any longer and it spread widely across his face as he glanced to Oshea. Oshea froze and her eyes widened as a blush spread across her freckled cheeks. She cleared her throat.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Dean patted her shoulder. "Of course you don't, sweetie. Of course you don't."

Oshea sighed. "Who told you?"

"The sheriff lady," He said, smirking. "Would you like to tell me exactly why you were streaking inside of a Scotland gym?"

"I had been working out and I went to take a shower and a ghost appeared. It was a long time ago and I wasn't used to everything yet and it… it scared me, and I ran out." She said lowly. As soon as she finished, Dean could not hold it in any longer. He burst out laughing and Oshea shot him a look. "It wasn't funny, Dean!" He tried to stop laughing. "No, no, you're right. There's absolutely nothing funny about that at all." He snorted a little and broke back into hysteric laughter, curving an arm around his stomach.

Oshea crossed her arms over her chest. "It was humiliating. All of these big guys were staring at me."

"I bet they were!"

"Then the police were called… and the papers… there were pictures and for a while, a phone video on YouTube."

Dean stopped laughing a moment and straightened. "Where did Sam leave his laptop?" He said, looking around the hotel room. "I need to check something real quick."

Oshea shook her head. "Absolutely not!"

"Fine, I can just look I up later," He said with a nod.

"I had them take it down."

"Darn it. Well… we could always just…," He nudged her in the side with his elbow and winked. Oshea smiled at him a little sweetly.

"Yeah… no." Her smile faded abruptly and she gave him a little shove.

"You're not nice."

"Bite me," Oshea said as she laid down.

Across the room, her cell phone began to buzz and light up on the table, and Dean hopped to his feet, walking over to pick it up. Ella's name flashed on the front of the screen and Dean smirked a little, answering it. "Hey, Ella! Just the person I was wanting to talk to!" He said, stepping from the motel room a moment, winking at Oshea.

Oshea watched him curiously from the bed, arching a brow as he left the room.

"Uh… okay? I was just calling to check in and see when you guys would be heading here to pick us up. How'd the case go?"

"Fine," He said quickly. "Listen, do you know anything about your sister's extracurricular activities back in Scotland?"

The line was silent a moment. "Oh, you mean her wreaking havoc in the local gym with her nakedness."

"Yeah, that's the one."

Ella chuckled. "Let me guess… she told you there was a ghost, and she freaked out and ran, correct?"

"Uh… yeah?"

"Heh… of course she did," Ella said, sounding amused.

"So, there was no ghost?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"Not so much. It was just me, messing with the light switch and making spooky noises."

"Ella?"

"Yeah?"

"You're awesome."

"I try."


	78. Wheels Of Confusion

TWO MONTHS LATER

HOUSATONIC, MASSACHUSETTS

"What you got?" Dean asked, walking over to the round table in the corner of the motel room they were staying in. Sam was sitting on the other side, his laptop open and in front of him as he started to eat his "HealthQuake Salad Shake." Sam dumped a little salad dressing into the container and started to shake it as he read over something on the laptop. Dean slowly looked up at him and stared until Sam glanced up. "You shake it up, baby." Sam rolled his eyes and sat down the container, opening it and beginning to eat.

They had all just gotten back from visiting one of Sam and Dean's old babysitter's house. The babysitter was a woman named Donna, who along with her husband and daughter Katie, had been terrorized by something in the home, which had attacked Katie, leaving the words "MURDERD CHYLDE" cut across her stomach. Dean's first thought was that it was a poltergeist, so they were now doing a little research on the history of the home. Ella was sitting cross legged on one of the beds, and Oshea was in the room next to theirs with Jude. She had decided to get her own room and help watch over the baby and Thatcher while Sam, Ella, and Dean focused on the case.

"Well, that house of theirs. It's old, really old, hundreds of years and I found this legend. It's unconfirmed, but supposedly, in the 1720s, the house was owned by a guy named Isaiah Pickett. Legend has it, he hung a woman in his backyard for witchcraft." He said, spinning the laptop around to show Dean the article he had pulled up. "Woman named Maggie Briggs. So, an angry ghost of a witch? But it still doesn't explain 'murdered chylde'."

"No. Or where she's buried," Dean shook his head.

"It's a long way back… but maybe I could find something in the town records," Ella said, glancing over to them.

Dean nodded. "It's worth a shot."

_xx_

It was getting dark and Sam still had not heard anything from Ella yet, so he picked up his cell phone and dialed her number. "Ells? Hey, any luck?"

"Bupkis," She replied, walking down the sidewalk and cutting through the yard next to the building she had just stepped out of. "I can't find any proof that a woman named Maggie Briggs even existed… much less where she was buried."

"Well, we got a minute to breathe here, so let's pick it up first thing."

"Okay. I'm heading back to the motel now. I'll see you in a few. Love you," Just as she hung up the phone, she heard the sound of branches cracking behind her. Her brows furrowing, she stuck the phone in her pocket and turned towards the noise. When she was sure that the sound was probably nothing, she turned her head. Her neck was suddenly struck by a small dart, and she immediately pulled her hand up to it, wincing a little. She gasped as her vision began to blur and she finally fell down onto the grass.

_xx_

When she woke up, she was laying in the middle of the woods. The leaves on the ground crunched as she sat herself up and groaned. She glanced down at her outfit. She clearly remembered leaving the motel wearing a pair of boots, dark jeans and a white tank top covered by a partially buttoned up leather jacket, but when she looked down at her clothes, she saw that she was wearing a black t-shirt with the batman symbol emblazoned across the front of it, purple low top Converses, and skin tight jeans. "What the hell…" She muttered, pushing herself to her feet. The last thing she remembered was heading back to the motel, a sharp pain in her neck, and waking up here... in the middle of the woods, her cell phone missing and no idea exactly what had happened to her. She dusted her pants off and started walking, hoping she wasn't far from the motel. When she finally got out of the woods, she started down a dark, misty road, crossing her arms over her chest. Cold rain drizzled down on her as she kept walking down the middle of the road. She glanced over her shoulder as she saw bright red and blue police lights flashing behind her until the patrol car finally pulled up next to her and stopped, rolling down the window.

A police officer leaned out of the window a little and looked at her. "Miss! Hey!" When she stopped, the officer stepped from the vehicle and walked to her. "Oh, I'm so glad we found you. You're family's been looking for you. They're worried sick. Come on, hop in." He said, beckoning her to the police car. He walked to the back and opened the door for her.

"My family?" She said, her brows furrowing. _I could have been unconscious for hours... maybe Sam, Dean, or Oshea started to worry and called the cops to help look for me_, she thought. She hesitated a moment before getting inside the police car.

The car pulled up in front of a nice two story home where an older woman and man stood in the yard by the driveway, and Ella straightened in her seat. "Wait... wait, no, there's been a mistake.. I'm not staying here."

The officer arched a brow and looked back at her. "Yes, you are. This is where you live, with your parents. They called and reported you missing a couple hours ago." He climbed out of the car and as soon as she stepped out, the couple ran to her.

"Oh Lauren!" They ran to her and embraced her. "Oh, Lauren, Lauren we were so worried!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" She pulled back from them. "Okay okay okay! I don't know who you people are!"

"They're your parents," The officer said, furrowing his brows.

"Lauren... have you been drinking?" The elder male said, crossing his arms over his chest. The woman shook her head.

"Have you been drinking? Or doing drugs?"

"We're _very _disappointed in you." The male, shook his head.

Ella took a step back to the police car. "Okay, I don't know who you people are but-" She caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the car window and her eyes widened. Except it wasn't her reflection looking back at her. Instead, it was a girl who looked much younger than herself with shoulder length wavy brown hair. She didn't know who it was, but her face was extremely familiar. She knew she had definitely seen the girl before, though, at the moment, that was the least of her worries. "Who... who is that?" She said, gesturing frantically at the window as she looked at the family with wide eyes. "Who the hell is that?"


	79. Freaky Friday

Lauren could not stop staring at herself in the mirror. She could not believe that it had actually worked. She lifted a hand and touched her face before combing her fingers through the thick, long dark hair. Finally stepping out of the bathroom, she moved into the hotel room to make sure everyone was sleeping before she snatched up the cell phones from the nightstand and the table. She pushed them into the pockets of her coat and moved to the door. After stepping outside, she moved to the room next to the one the others had been staying in and slipped inside. In that room was a sleeping red head, a little boy curled up beside of her and a crib. She tip-toed inside and grabbed the cell phone that rested on the table and put it with the others. She had to get rid of them, she couldn't let the others have them.

Once they were disposed of in the nearest dumpster, she went back into the room and breathed a sigh of relief. Things were all going according to plan.

_xx_

After she had finished having a massive freak-out outside the house of the people who claimed to be her parents, Ella quickly found out that she, or whoever it was that they thought she was, lived in the basement of the home. She held her tongue while they gave her a talk about not doing drugs, and sent her downstairs. As much as she wanted to get out of there, there was definitely something weird going on, and she wasn't going to be able to figure it out if she stood around and argued with them. They were entirely convinced that she was their daughter, and if that wasn't weird enough, she even had the reflection to prove it.

As she made her way downstairs, she noticed that the entire basement had been turned into a small apartment. There was a bathroom, a small kitchen space, a storage room, and lastly, an enormous bedroom. A sign with the name "Lauren" in large letters hung on the outside of the door, and she stepped inside the room, taking a look around as she closed and quickly locked the bedroom door behind her. A small black purse hung on the knob of the door, and she quickly pulled it off, dumping the contents of it on the sheets of the bed. She immediately grabbed for the dark wallet and opened it up.

_Library card, debit card, coupon for a free smoothie... aha! Identification card. _Ella pulled the card out of it's slot, looking over it. Apparently, the girl who's appearance she somehow suddenly had, was 21 years old, and went by the name of Lauren Morgan, and she attended the local community college. She dropped the wallet and ID card as she noticed the small black cell phone that had fallen out of the purse, started to light up and vibrate on the bed. The name "Deena" flashed on the screen. Ella's brows furrowed. The name Deena sounded familiar too... and Lauren, but she couldn't quite place where she had heard them before.

"Lauren! Finally! I've been trying to get a hold of you for hours," The girl's voice on the other end of the line said quickly after Ella answered the phone.

"Yeah... sorry," Ella said as she paced around the room a little, looking around. "I've uh, just been a little distracted... with stuff."

"Fill me in tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Ella repeated.

"Duh! We made plans to grab lunch tomorrow and hang out at my place... you didn't forget, did you?"

"Sorry, guess I kinda blanked out. Of course we're hanging out tomorrow," Ella said quickly. "Time and place?"

The line was quiet for a moment. "Six... at Fatz. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. See you tomorrow," Ella quickly closed the phone. If she wanted to figure out who this Lauren girl was, her best chance stood with Deena. Until then, she would put her detective skills to work. Whatever this was, it had witchcraft written all over it. She rummaged through all the drawers in the desk, looked under the bed, but it wasn't until she grabbed a step stool and started looking around in the closet that something caught her attention on the top shelf inside the closet. Hidden underneath a couple of school yearbooks was a thick black book. She pulled the yearbooks away, letting them drop on the floor as she reached for the suspicious book. When she flipped it open and hopped off the step stool, her suspicions were confirmed. She sighed, shaking her head as she flipped through it. "Damn it, Lauren.. This is a bad, bad book."

After looking some more, she finally found an old box of witchcraft-y looking items, stuffed in a box that was pushed cleverly to the back of the closet and was hidden by a blanket that was thrown over top of it.

She sat the box down on the bed, along with the book, and grabbed the cell phone again, quickly dialing Sam's number. It went straight to voicemail. "Okay, Sam, I don't know why your phone is off... but something way weird is going on here and I'm kind of freaking out. I think I'm in the wrong body.. call me back."

She tried Oshea's cell next, and then Dean's, and then all of the extra ones they might have laying around, and all of them went straight to voicemail She resisted the urge to fling the device at the purple painted walls, cursing.


	80. Dizzy Miss Lizzy

Lauren Morgan ran a brush through her now long, thick dark hair before stepping out of the bathroom and rummaging through the duffel back at the end of the bed where Sam Winchester was still sleeping. The other one had gotten up and run off to get food, Lauren had been in the bathroom admiring her new reflection when he had left. She pulled out a tank with a swooping neckline and a pair of short lounging shorts before collapsing on Dean's empty bed. She giggled as she lifted her long legs in the air and kicked them. Ella Blackwood was _tall_. Wiggling her toes, she dropped her legs to the bed again and lifted her hands to her chest, grinning as she looked at the upper curves of her chest peering over the edge of the tank. Yeah, Lauren could definitely get used to this.

She curled an arm beneath her head and laid her other hand on her flat stomach, wondering for the first time how Ella was liking her new body and her overbearing parents. They had probably given her the whole 'just say no' spiel all over again. Lauren chuckled and sat up, crossing her legs in front of her before glancing at the clock on the nightstand. How long did Sam usually sleep? This was getting a little ridiculous. She needed to figure out a way to get them all to leave. The last thing she needed was to have Ella come back here and tell them all what was happening. She chewed on her lip drumming the tips of her fingers against her flat stomach. She needed to check in with Jonathan, let him know that whatever he did had worked.

"Ella?"

Lauren jumped a little and whirled, looking over to the other bed. Sam was sitting propped up on one elbow, looking over at her groggily. "Ells, what are you doing over there? Come here." He said, patting the space on the bed beside of him as he laid back down on his side, facing her. Lauren could feel a blush creeping to her cheeks. Ella and Sam were sharing a bed? That would explain why there were only two beds. As she was standing, she noticed the ring on her hand for the first time. She stared at it then looked at Sam, seeing a ring on his finger, too.

"I'm married!" She squeaked. "We're married!"

Sam's brows furrowed. "Yes… we have been for almost a year now."

"Right, right." She walked over to the bed and climbed in, laying down beside of him a little stiffly. Sam scooted over to her and draped an arm over her waist and nuzzled her neck. Lauren lifted a hand and patted his shoulder.

"Where's Dean?"

"He went to get food."

"Of course," Sam smiled a little, keeping his eyes closed. He lifted his hand and turned her face toward him, pressing his lips against hers. Lauren's brows shot up and her eyes widened, but she returned the kiss. "Alright… I guess I have to get up." He opened his eyes and pushed himself up, with a little groan, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "I'm going to take a shower. You want to come?" He glanced over his shoulder toward her. Her jaw dropped, and she stammered.

"Uh… I… I a-already took one. Thanks." She nodded.

Sam shrugged and shed his shirt, tossing it back onto the bed as he walked to the bathroom. Lauren sat up and leaned over the end of the bed, watching Sam remove his boxers before kicking the door shut. She was leaning so far over the side that the knock at the door startled her and caused her to fall into a heap on the floor.

"Ella, are you okay?"

Lauren pushed herself up quickly and cleared her throat, turning to look at the redhead who stood just inside of the door with a baby in her arms. "Oshea Blackwood? I'm fine! Ella's… all good."

Oshea arched a brow. "Ooookay then, now we're referring to ourselves in the third person, awesome. Listen, Jude's been really missing you, and I told Thatch that I'd take him to pick out some clothes today so… I'll be back for her in a little while, alright?" She handed the baby to her, and Lauren held the squirming child at arm's length.

"Who is this?"

"Judith, Ells. Your daughter? Did you get drunk again? Is that what this is?" Oshea said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Uh… yes. Yes, I did. I am so hammered right now." Lauren nodded quickly. Oshea shook her head.

"We really need to get you into an AA group." Oshea said with a laugh. "I'll see you soon, sis. Tell Sam I said hi."

"Will do." Lauren said, holding a smile until Oshea was out of the room. She looked down at the baby and frowned. "What the heck am I supposed to do with you? Oh… ohmigosh…. That smell… is that… did you…!" She stared at the child in horror as it started to cry.

"Ella, is everything alright?" Sam called from the bathroom, the shower still running.

"Yeah! Yeah… um… everything is… peachy…"

"Is that Jude?"

"Um… yeah…."

"Is she okay?"

"No… she, she's just crying and crying and I don't know what to do!" Lauren said quickly, starting to panic. The shower shut off and a few moments later, Sam stepped from the bathroom wearing just a towel around his waist. Lauren stared a moment then walked over and thrust the baby into his arms. "Take her! She smells!"

"She probably needs a diaper change…" Sam stared at her a moment. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes. I… I'm drunk." She said quickly.

"Little early for that don't you think?" He titled his head then walked into the bathroom. "Bring the diaper bag." Lauren looked around and found the bag Oshea had left, throwing it into the bathroom after him. This was going to be harder than she thought.

Dean stepped into the motel room several minutes later, carrying two white paper bags. He sat them down on the table as he started to pull off his jacket.

Lauren was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding the baby at arms length. Sam had finished changing her diaper and was changing into some clothes. She cleared her throat. "Um… Dean, right? Listen." She stood up, still holding the baby a little away from herself. "I think we need to leave… the hotel. Um… see, I was kind of… well, a maid came in and she kind of saw all of our weapons and everyone is freaking out."

Dean arched a brow as he pulled the jacket back on. "Why'd you let the maid in?"

"It just kind of happened..." She said with a little shrug. Sam stepped out of the bathroom, frowning a little.

"Something wrong?"

"Yeah, your wife let the maid in," He said, still looking at 'Ella' a bit suspiciously. "So now we need to leave before homeland security shows up to admire our collection of weapons."

Sam's brows furrowed and he gave Lauren a strange look before going to get his things together. "Alright then. You'd better let Oshea know."

"She left with someone named Thatch?" Lauren said, her brows furrowing a little. "She was going to get him clothes or something."

"You're being weird today," Dean said. "Whatever, let's just go finish the case. Maggie Briggs' remains aren't gonna just find themselves."

"Wait, Maggie Briggs… the witch Maggie Briggs? That's who you're- _we're- _looking for?" She said, as she moved to the door with the baby still held out awkwardly. Sam grabbed his and Ella's bag from the floor and nodded.

"Yes?"

"Well, I know where she is. She's in the basement."

Sam stopped in the doorway, holding the duffel bags. "Basement? What basement?"

"The guy, Isaiah Pickett. His basement. There's this legend, you know, that he hung her, but that's not it. The real truth is that she was carrying his illegitimate child and he killed her and buried her in his basement."

"The murdered child... That explains the scratches... How do you know all this?" Dean asked, his brows raised.

"Oh I did all kinds of research!" She said with a grin.

Sam stared moment. "Really? When?"

"Uh… you know… last night. I couldn't sleep." Judith reached for her, wiggling, and cooing. Lauren held her out a little further. "Hurry let's get in the car." She said, scurrying out to put the baby in the car seat.

Dean watched after her, arching a brow as he looked over at Sam. "I thought you were keeping the alcohol hidden. You know how loopy she gets when she's drunk."

"Not usually this loopy... something weird is going on," Sam said with a little frown as he carried the rest of the bags out to the car.

_xx_

While they were on the road, driving to find a new hotel to stay in, Dean was fiddling with the knobs of the radio. They had been driving down a long stretch of highway when they realized that all of their cell phones were missing, even the ones the extra ones that they kept in the car. Dean had finally left a message with the front desk to let Oshea know that they had gone to another place and that they would pick her and Thatcher up and take her to the new hotel as soon as possible. An upbeat classic rock song started to play over the radio and Dean reached to turn the volume up.

"No, no turn that down, please." Lauren said with a frown. Judith was staring at her while sucking on her small fist. Suddenly, one of her bottles flew and hit Lauren on the side of the head. She gasped and looked over at the baby warily. Sam frowned, coughing into his hand.

"Jude, that's not nice. We don't through things at people with our minds."

Dean arched a brow as he looked in the rearview mirror back at Ella in the backseat. "What do you mean 'turn that down'? You like this song."

"What? Bob Seger? Absolutely not." Lauren said, shaking her head. "Please turn it down? Ow!" She shot Judith a look after a plush duck hit her in the side of the face with a little squeak.


	81. Fool On The Hill

Ella had spent what seemed like hours frantically leaving voicemails to each and every one of their cell phones, all of which were turned off. She even called the motel they had been staying at, but they had already checked out of the room... leather jacket guy, sasquatch, twitchy brunette chick, and a baby. Which means there was someone that was definitely not her walking around in an Ella-suit, which made real Ella beyond nervous.

She didn't get any sleep. She couldn't. She stayed up until she heard the calls from Lauren's parents upstairs, claiming they had made breakfast. Reluctantly, she dragged herself upstairs and was once more asked several times if she was on drugs. After eating, she hurried back down to the basement to waste a few hours until she had to meet Deena.

She sat down in front of the black laptop, pulling it open once more to do a little snooping. The most visited site was Ghostfacers, which caused Ella to arch a brow. She shook her head and closed the laptop after a little while, standing up to go find something to wear.

Among all the superhero t-shirts and band shirts that made her want to strangle all young people for not having decent taste in music, she finally found a Beatles shirt, one that she actually owned herself. "Well, at least there's something in here that makes me not entirely hate this kid," She muttered.

She quickly and quietly made her way upstairs, shoving the black book that she had found in a small tote bag as she snuck quietly out the back door of the house.

It was a long walk to the restaurant. She had only made it halfway there when she heard someone calling her name from behind her. "Hey Lauren! Wait up!" The short dark hair girl called after her.

Ella turned around and arched a brow, looking around her until she remembered she was Lauren. At least for the time being. "Hey... Deena?"

The girl stared at her for a moment. "Yes, Lauren," She chuckled. "Glad Jonathan and I caught up with you before we went to go eat. How are you? You sounded a little weird on the phone last night."

"I'm fine..." Ella said quietly, glancing over at the guy who stood next to Deena.

The guy who stood next to her was a little short, slender and had shaggy black hair and light blue eyes. Gages were in the lobes of his ears and he wore a red polo shirt and a pair of worn jeans. He crossed his arms over his chest a little and arched a brow, looking at her. "You're late. We were supposed to meet at Fatz a half hour ago."

"Sorry," She said a little sarcastically. "I guess I lost track of time."

"No worries," Deena smiled a little. "We can walk there together, now."

Jonathan watched her and Deena start to walk down the sidewalk and followed a few steps behind them. He whipped out a gun, "Hey, Lauren." He said, waiting until she had turned back around before he fired the gun, sending a thick dart into her throat.

Deena gasped as Ella fell over onto the grass next to the sidewalk. "W-what did you just do, Jonathan? Why did you do that?"

"We couldn't just let her leave!" Jonathan hissed. "Come on, we have to get her back to my place. My parents are out of town so we can do what we need to do." He walked over to Lauren and picked her up, starting quickly down the sidewalk. "Come on, Deena, we're almost there. Just one more thing we have to do, then you and Lauren will get everything you ever dreamed of."

_xx_

Lauren chewed on her lower lip nervously as she watched Dean and Sam leave to take care of the poltergeist back at their babysitter's home. She and Oshea had volunteered to stay back with the rugrats while the brothers went to torch the remains of Maggie Briggs. Lauren was sitting with a sleeping Thatcher resting in her lap. She had found the little blind boy much more amiable than the apparently telepathic infant that Oshea had just laid down in the hotel crib.

They had arrived at the Cloverleaf not long ago. Once Lauren and Sam had been dropped off at the hotel with Judith, Dean had driven back to get Oshea and the little boy Thatcher. Though Thatcher was very quiet around her and only spoke to the redhead sister of the woman whose body Lauren was walking around in, he did not protest when she tried to hold him, and he would acknowledge her questions with a very faint shake or nod of his head.

Judith was another story entirely. Every time Lauren touched her, she started to squirm and fuss. She would whine and cry and ball her little fists and strike Lauren wherever she could reach. And apparently, the thing that frightened Lauren the most was the fact that apparently, the baby was psychic. Whenever she would get agitated or Lauren would come near her, something would go flying across the room and hit her in the face. "So…," Lauren said, trying to fill the heavy silence between her and Oshea. "What's the deal with Sam? All he does is sleep and cough… I hope he doesn't have the flu because I kissed him and I do not want to catch it."

"You are in some serious denial, sis," Oshea said, staring hard at Lauren. "That or you were drinking more than I thought. You know about his condition… his time's running out, Ells, you can't just pretend it's not happening. We have to figure out a way to cure him before he dies and his soul is dragged off to hell."

Lauren stiffened and looked over at her with a frown. "He… wait, you're saying he…. He's dying?"

"He's only got a few months left…"

They did not talk anymore after that. Even when Dean and Sam returned home, they were silent. Sam laid down on his back on his bed, and Lauren started to speak to him, stammering a little before her phone rang. "I… I have to take this." She whispered. She stepped from the hotel room and sighed. "What is it Jonathan?"

"Lauren, hey… where are you?"

"I'm at the Cloverleaf Motel on route 6." She whispered into the phone, looking back toward the hotel as she paced in the parking lot.

"Where is Sam?"

"Sam? He's here… well… not here now, he and Dean are burning Maggie Brigg's remains… but that's beside the point, listen I-"

"Why haven't you brought him here? Look we don't have time for this, we have problems here. For one, I'm looking at your body right now this other chick inside. She's been in your house… hanging out with your parents."

"Listen to me, that's what I'm trying to tell you! I'm not… I mean, I can't do this, Jonathan."

"Wait, what do you-"

"They're married and happy and… and they have a baby! And he's dying! He's got some kind of condition and he's only got a few months to live."

"So? Saves us the trouble of killing him ourselves."

"I can't do this anymore, Jonathan. I'm sorry. I can't believe I let you talk me and Deena into this in the first place." She heard him start to protest and she shut the phone, hanging up on him.

_xx_

When Ella woke up, she found herself tied to a chair in the middle of the basement. "Hey!" She yelled at Jonathan, who walked past her. Deena stood off nervously to the side, her arms crossed over her chest. "What the hell is going on?" She struggled against the ropes, but they wouldn't budge.

Jonathan glanced over at her as he was dialing the number into his cell phone. "You can scream all you want. No one can hear you, my parents are out of town. Lauren, hey… where are you?… okay, well where is Sam? Why haven't you brought him here? Look we don't have time for this, we have problems here. For one, I'm looking at your body right now this other chick inside. She's been in your house… hanging out with your parents…. Wait, what do you-… so? Saves us the trouble of killing him ourselves… I don't believe this… don't you- wait… Lauren? Hello?" He cursed and slammed the phone closed.

"How do you know who Sam is?" Ella asked, her brows furrowed as she glanced over at Deena a moment and back to Jonathan.

"Everybody knows Sam. Younger brother of Dean Winchester and one of hell's most wanted." Jonathan said, walking toward her.

"Oh no..." Ella sighed. "You idiots... you've been talking to demons?"

"Right, _we're the idiots."_ Jonathan said lowly.

"Yeah, you really are. You're just kids... really, really stupid kids. You have no idea what you're messing with," She shook her head.

"Well, we know that someone very powerful has put a price on your and your husband's heads. And I… we're going to be the ones to collect."

"Okay, listen to me, please..." Ella sighed. "Whatever you guys are up to.. you're making a terrible mistake. We're talking about a demon deal... This isn't a game. You're crossing a line that you won't come back from."

Deena turned from Ella and looked over at Jonathan. "What is she talking about, Jon? You didn't say anything about demons... Y-you said you would do some spell, and if we got Ella and Sam, that you'd help me and Lauren... right? Y-you said you'd help us become famous ghost-hunters... that's all."

Jonathan looked over at her and shook his head. "What? Don't tell me that you're actually listening to this bitch. First Lauren and now you? You wanted to be famous didn't you?" He rolled his eyes, stepping away from her and going to the table where the thick, old leather bound book laid. He picked it up and began flipping through it.

"What are you doing?" She asked quietly, stepping towards him.

"I'm calling in one of these bad boys," He turned the book around, tapping the page with a demon summoning spell. "Giving them over and getting my reward."


	82. Put Out The Fire

Lauren snapped the phone shut, sighing heavily as she tapped it against her forehead. Things were getting way out of control. She released a sigh and walked back into the hotel room. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw Oshea, Thatcher and Dean sitting on one bed and Sam sitting on the edge of the other bed by the crib where Judith was sleeping. She closed the door behind her and furrowed her brows. "What's... going on?"

Oshea stood up and walked over to her. Without a word, she curled her hand into a fist and punched Lauren in the face. Lauren staggered back into the door and slumped a little. Oshea grabbed the front of her shirt and shoved her roughly against the door. "Where is my sister?"

Dean watched without a word and looked over at Lauren. "You better start talking, or she'll do a lot worse than that, trust me."

_xx_

"_Attenrahendum Eos... ad Ligandum... eos patiter et Solvendum et Ad congregantum Eos Coram me_!" Jonathan chanted as he tossed a bit of powder into the midst of the blood filled bowl that sat in the midst of the altar, ignoring Ella and Deena's protests. He straightened as he said the last word and frowned as nothing seemed to happen. "Maybe I said this wrong..."

Ella looked around and then her gaze settled on Deena, who had fallen down to the floor and was unconscious, leaning against the back side of the bar. Her head was resting on her shoulders and her dark hair fell over and covered her face. When Jonathan started to go near her, Ella struggled in the ropes a little bit and shook her head. "No! Don't get near her!"

Jonathan frowned and knelt down beside of Deena, completely ignoring Ella. He touched Deena's shoulder and gave her a little shake. "Hey... Dee?"

Deena's head jerked violently towards him. She grinned, her green eyes flooding with black. "Dee's not here right now." Deena slowly got up to her feet and paced around Jonathan, still smiling. "So, what'd you call me here for, skippy?" She blinked, her eyes returning to normal. "Unless," she gasped. "It's dinner time?"

"What? Uh... no..." He said, taking a step back slightly. "Listen, we have Sam Winchester. He's at the Cloverleaf Motel on Route 6..."

Deena turned her head, tilting it a little as she looked over at Ella, realizing she was in the room. "Ella? Ella Blackwood, is that you in there?" She laughed loudly as she walked over to her. "Not so tough without your pretty little meatsuit and weapons, now are ya?"

"The kid is a moron," Ella said lowly. "He doesn't know where Sam is. He's lying."

Deena chuckled and rested a hand on Ella's shoulder, turning her head to look at Jonathan. "So... you mean to tell me that you've got angel girl here, and her husband just a few streets over... and you're gonna hand them both over to me?"

Jonathan nodded. "Yeah, I… I guess. Oh, and you'll love this… apparently, her hubby is knocking on death's door. Should be easy pickin's for you."

"Ooh. That's even better," She grinned. "I gotta say... I'm impressed. I didn't really expect a kid like you to pull off something this big."

Jonathan grinned and rubbed his hands together. "So, I've given you what you want... now, I heard there was a reward for these two.."

"A reward? Oh yes..." She walked towards him, smiling a little as she thought. "How about... my undying gratitude. I think that's a fair trade, don't you?" She glanced back at Ella.

Jonathan's smile faltered a little then faded altogether. "Wait, are you serious? No, we worked our butts off getting these two, and I think I deserve a little more than a thank you note!"

Deena frowned a little and then nodded. "I'm sorry... you're right. Anything you want.. you name it."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Oh for god's sake, Jonathan, just shut up and run."

Jonathan was thoughtful a moment. "That's better..." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I want... a million dollars and for... Ashley Downey to fall in love with me."

"A million doesn't buy you much these days, why not make it ten?" She chuckled. "Love, money... I can respect that. But here's my counter," She smiled briefly before ramming her fist through his abdomen, the flesh making a sickening squishing noise as she grinned and twisted her fist around. Blood trickled from Jonathan's mouth as he shook violently and cried out, until, with one last squish, he fell to the floor. Deena stared at her blood soaked hand before running her tongue along her palm and up to her fingers. "Yum. Tastes like moron." She grinned a little in amusement as she glanced over at Ella, who stared back at her in disgust.

_xx_

The door to the motel busted open, and Deena stepped into the room, raising her hand and flinging Dean and Sam across the room. She moved her hand again, and threw Oshea and Thatcher through the open doorway of the bathroom. The invisible force sent the door slamming shut just as the two fell onto the linoleum floor of the small bathroom. Lauren was tied up to a chair in the middle of the room. Deena glanced at her a moment before walking over to Dean, kicking him repeatedly in the stomach for a moment or two. She looked down at Sam and kneeled in front of him. "Hello, Sammy Winchester. We meet at last. I've heard so much about you... from my boss."

When the door burst open, Oshea's eyes widened and she clung to Thatcher, standing up from the bed. She cried out as she was flung into the bathroom. "DEAN!"

Sam gasped sharply as he was flung backwards against the wall. He slid backward, his head striking the wall as he hit. Sam grunted and pushed himself up onto his elbows, coughing roughly as a little blood ran down his lip. Lauren's cried out, tugging against the ropes as she watched Deena kicking Dean and kneeling in front of Sam. "Stop it! Stop!" Sam narrowed his eyes.

"Your boss?"

"Wait your turn," Deena said, looking back at Lauren and wagging a finger. "I'll get to you in a minute. "She looked back at Sam. "Well yeah, silly. My boss. And let me tell you, she's dying to meet you. She never shuts up about it. I gotta say though," She frowned as she looked over Sam. "I'm not sure what the big hurry is."

Lauren tried to break the ropes again then stopped and sank a little into the chair. "_E-Exorcizamus te… omnis immundus spiritus…_" She stammered.

Deena glared and turned from Sam, standing up and turning to Lauren. "What was that? I'm sorry, I must not have heard correctly considering I was in the middle of a conversation that you so rudely interrupted... but were you trying to exorcise me, you little piece of crap?" She growled as she grabbed Lauren by the throat and started to squeeze, partially lifting her and the chair off the ground for a moment.

"_Omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii_," Dean started to chant from behind her, blood dripping down from his mouth as he wobbled to his feet.

Deena groaned as she let Lauren slip free from her grasp, the legs of the chair returning to the ground with a quiet thud as her head jerked in Dean's direction, and then to Lauren as she continued chanting.

"_Omnis legio, et secta diabolica_," Lauren coughed, wriggling in the ropes. As Deena walked back toward her, Sam leaned his back against the wall, brushing the blood from his lips.

"_Ergo draco maledicte et sectio,_" He said hoarsely, slowly rising to his feet and keeping a hand against the wall to steady himself.

"_Ergo draco maledicte et legio secta diabolica_," Lauren continued as Deena moved back and forth between them, finally stopping as she began to cough and gag, black smoke beginning to issue from between her lips.

"_Ut Ecclésiam tuam secúra tibi fácias,_" Sam chanted before his words dissolved into coughing.

"_Servire libertáte, te rogámus, _adios bitch," Dean finished with a little smirk.

Lauren shook her head "It's actually… _audi nos." A long trail of dark smoke shot out of Deena's mouth, moving around them and up to the ceiling, disappearing through a vent on the wall. When it was all gone, Deena fell limply to the floor._


	83. You Can't Always Get What You Want

Lauren's hands were shaking as she stammered out the spell that had been marked in the book and sprinkled the powder into the bowl in the center of the altar. They were all gathered in Jonathan's house, and every few moments she would glance over at the body laying in a puddle of drying blood that had seeped into the carpet.

Oshea was sitting on the end of the bed, holding Thatcher in her lap. Deena was huddled up in a blanket at the head of the bed. Sam was standing just behind Lauren's body, which at the moment housed Ella. He was holding Judith, who was sucking on her fist while staring intently at the two seated by the altar. As she finished reading off the spell, a bright light spread over them, and Lauren swallowed hard as she looked down, finding herself in her own body again.

Ella looked down at her body and let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god. I'm me again." She frowned a little and touched her face. "Why does my face hurt?"

"Oshea kind of punched you… well… your body." Sam said with a little frown.

"Yeah," Lauren said with a little sigh, standing up and edging away from the body. "Look... we're really sorry..." She said, keeping her eyes down as she rubbed her arm.

"Yeah," Deena said quietly, looking over the edge of the blanket. "We didn't know there were gonna be demons involved in this... or that he was trying to get you guys killed..."

Ella shook her head. "Why were you listening to that Jonathan anyway? The guy's an idiot... or, well, was an idiot..."

Lauren shivered and moved over to Deena. "We thought that he could help us become ghost hunters." She said quietly.

"Seriously?" Dean arched a brow. Deena nodded. Dean rolled his eyes. "Well that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard..."

"Kids, the lives of ghost hunters aren't as glamorous as you would think. You're going to get yourselves killed," Ella said.

Lauren huffed. "We're not kids." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm twenty one. Besides, we watch the Ghostfacers all the time. We know it's dangerous, but it also helps people! Just like you guys."

Ella shook her head. "First of all, the Ghostfacers are a bunch of idiots who have no idea what they're doing. They're not helping anybody. We've met them, trust me, we know what we're talking about."

"You know, you all left us." Lauren said, sitting down on the bed beside of Deena as the others got up to leave. "You left us in jail."

"What?" Ella said, her brows furrowing. "Oh crap," Her eyes widened a little. "Sam, you remember the Lincoln Academy haunting that we... well, that you and Dean took care of, right?"

Sam's brows furrowed a little thoughtfully then his eyes widened as he looked at the girls again. "Oh... crap..."

Lauren nodded. "Yeah. 'Oh crap.' You and your brother said that you'd get us out of there, but you left. We were in jail for weeks before the police got all of that sorted out."

"...Sorry?" Ella chuckled nervously.

Deena didn't look very amused. "Can we please get out of here? I just wanna go home."

_xx_

The waitress stepped over to the booth carrying a tray with three plastic baskets lined with parchment paper. Three bacon cheeseburgers were nestled in the parchment with a generous portion of fries spread around it. She sat down the food and leaned over a little, smiling at Dean. "Will there be anything else?"

Oshea looked up at her and arched a brow, drumming the tips of her finger against the side of her Styrofoam cup. "No we're fine thanks." The waitress straightened and swished away, her mini-skirt clinging to her hips. Oshea rolled her eyes then looked down to Thatcher, who was sitting beside of her on a booster seat, kicking his small legs back and forth a little. "Food's here, directly in front of you." The little boy reached out and grabbed the burger, bringing it to his mouth and taking a large bite.

Dean's eyes widened a little as he watched the young boy devour the cheeseburger for several moments. He smirked a little before starting in on his own burger. "Oh my god this is amazing," Dean said quickly, his mouth full of food. He chewed and swallowed, looking up as Oshea gave him a funny look.

Oshea chuckled as she looked between Dean and Thatcher, whose cheeks were swollen from the large bite he had taken. "Slow down you both, they aren't going anywhere." She turned to Thatcher and smiled, seeing a little ketchup on the boy's lips and chin. "Hold on, Thatch." Picking up a napkin, she wiped away the ketchup from his face. "There you go."

"Burgers are my favorite." Thatch said with his mouth still full. He went back to chewing, and Oshea shook her head, stroking his hair back a little.

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

"But he did!" The little boy replied after swallowing.

"Well Dean isn't exactly the best role model for etiquette." Oshea said with a little laugh.

Dean watched Oshea and Thatcher a moment, not realizing the small smile that had slowly spread across his face as he looked at how motherly Oshea was towards the young boy that they had barely known for over a couple of months. Despite how extremely difficult it was dragging along a baby and a small child with them on the road, having to keep them out of harms way, make sure that someone could take care of them when they had remains to burn, vampires to decapitate, victims to interrogate, or whatever it was they had to do that day, he was actually starting to get used to having the kid around. Not only that, but it seemed to make Oshea more than happy that she had someone of her own to take care of. Though he wasn't her own child, she seemed to have a special bond with him. Before Thatcher, Sam and Ella had each other, and the two of them had Jude, Jude had Sam and Ella, and Uncle Dean, Uncle Bobby and Aunt Oshea. Dean and Oshea had each other, although their relationship had been nothing but rocky from the beginning. Now they all, Oshea, Dean, Sam, Ella, Jude, and Thatcher, were starting to become a huge, but of course hugely dysfunctional, family. Now that he thought it of, he didn't know why he fought the whole family thing for so long. It wasn't half bad.

The sounds of the phone ringing in his pocket caused Dean to snap back into reality. He cleared his throat and quickly pulled out the cell phone, flipping it open. "Hey, Sam. Did you guys get Deena and Lauren home alright?"

"Yeah, we got them back." Sam said, sounding distracted. "Um... Dean, there's someone here at the hotel. They say that they are looking for Oshea and Thatcher. Apparently, it's his grandmother..."

"His grandmother?" Dean's brows furrowed. He looked over at Oshea, giving her a meaningful look. "Are you sure?"

Oshea looked up at Dean and at his look, her smile immediately faded and the color drained from her face. She looked down at Thatcher then back up to Dean.

"Yeah, we've checked her ID... and we've checked.. other things, too, and she seems legit. She says that the police called her saying that Oshea had found Thatcher. She... uh, she's here to take him home.."

Dean cursed inwardly to himself. He knew Oshea wasn't going to take this very well. He sighed. "Okay... we'll be there soon." He looked up at Oshea. "We need to talk."

The entire walk from the diner to the far corner of the parking lot where the Impala sat, was filled with an uncomfortable silence. After Oshea had gotten Thatcher buckled safely in the backseat and closed the door, Dean stepped over to her, glancing in through the car window at the young boy before looking at Oshea. "Thatcher's grandmother showed up at the motel..."

Oshea looked through the window at Thatcher as he turned his head this way and that, kicking his legs slowly. She kept her eyes on him as she whispered. "Are they sure that she's telling the truth?"

"Sam said she checks out," Dean replied quietly with a little nod.

Oshea swallowed hard, curling her arms around herself and lifting a hand to cup it over her mouth. "I... I don't know if I can do this, Dean...," She said quietly as a few tears started to ease down her cheeks.

"Hey," He sighed and reached out and rubbed her arm gently. "I know you can do this, Oshea. You were amazing, strong. You took care of that kid when there was no one else there for him. You've turned every crap motel into a home just by being there with him. But he has a family, who's been worried sick about him, and they're here now. He belongs with his grandmother... not on the road with us while we hunt evil. He belongs where he's not constantly in danger. Don't you want him to be somewhere safe?"

Oshea took in a deep breath and finally looked back at Dean, nodding slowly. "You're right... he doesn't belong with us. He belongs somewhere safe... with his real family." She tried to force a small smile, but failed. Lifting a hand, she brushed a few tears away with the heel of her hand. "Let's get this over with."

Dean pulled her over to him and kissed her forehead before nodding and walking around the side of the car, getting inside.


	84. Miss You In A Heartbeat

When they got back to the hotel, Thatcher had dozed off in the car seat. Oshea carefully unbuckled him and lifted him into her arms, stroking his back gently as she carried him into the room. She could not believe that she was going to have to say goodbye to the little blind boy she had gotten so close to. When they stepped inside, Sam stood up from the bed. "Here they are.."

An older brunette woman with graying hair, who looked to be in her late fifties, was sitting at the table. As soon as the door opened, she got to her feet and rushed over to Oshea, her arms outstretched to take the boy. "Oh thank goodness! I was so worried!"

Oshea tightened her grip around the still sleeping boy and took a step back instinctively. She swallowed hard and looked down at Thatcher, stroking his hair. "You... you're going to take good care of him... right?" She said quietly.

"Look, it means the world to me that you all were there to take care of him, with his sister and parents missing... You don't know how glad I am that he's safe... but I'm his grandmother." The woman said, her hands still held out as she took a step forward. "Of course I'm going to take care of him."

Oshea took a deep breath and looked back down at Thatcher, giving him a little kiss on the forehead before she pulled him away and placed him in the older woman's arms. She let her arms fall to her sides. "Let me get his things..." She whispered, moving to hers and Dean's duffel bag. She pulled out the small backpack they had gotten for him that held his changes of clothes and the couple toys Oshea had found for him at souvenir shops in various states. "Would... it be alright if I visited him sometime?" She asked as she handed the woman the bag. "You know... just... to check up on him?"

"I don't think that's necessary," The woman said, taking the bag and pulling its strap over her shoulder as she held onto the still sleeping Thatcher. "Like I said, I'm so grateful. I can't thank you enough. But he's my grandson. He'll be perfectly fine with me." She nodded and walked from the room.

"Right...," Oshea whispered, keeping her eyes down as the woman walked passed her and left the room.

Just as she stepped outside the room, the door closed behind her, and she looked down at the sleeping boy in her arms with a smile. She blinked, her eyes turning black. "Well aren't you just adorable... Eris will be pleased," She blinked again and her eyes returned to normal. Grinning, she stepped onto the sidewalk and away from the motel.


	85. Turning Tables

"Miss? Miss… Miss Blackwood."

Oshea Blackwood lifted her eyes, staring at the young man who stood behind the check in desk at the Meadowlark Motel that sat on the edge of the city of Lawrence. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail and was wearing a black zipped up hoodie and a pair of plain jeans over worn Converse high tops. Since Thatcher was taken away by his grandmother several months prior, she had just not felt like dressing up. She tried to keep on a happy face for Dean and the others, especially now that Sam was getting so much worse.

"I found a pair of rooms that will suit your needs. Rooms 124 and 125, they are directly across the hall from one another." He passed her the keys, and Oshea took them with a nod. Turning from the register, she called a word of gratitude over her shoulder and stepped outside.

The last few months had been a nightmare. If Oshea thought about it too much, she would not be able to stop the tears that were forever trapped just behind her eyes. Sam was a shell of his former self. She and Dean and Ella had been preparing for the worst after everything they tried to cure him failed, but none of them had been expecting this.

His skin was so pale it was almost translucent; his veins stood out in bright blues. His eyelids were droopy, and there were such heavy bags beneath them that it looked as if he had smeared charcoal on the upper curves of his cheeks. His cheeks were sunken in, his hands were bony and his wrists were so thin they looked ready to snap. His muscles that he had worked so hard to maintain were gone; the illness had devoured them and left him with protruding ribs and sharp elbows and jutting collarbones. His hair was stringy and often clinging to his forehead which his high fevers often caused to be coated with a layer of sweat. Every piece of food that he tried to eat almost immediately sent him into violent heaves until he gave up eating all together. Sometimes Ella was able to coax him into nibbling on the edges of pieces of bread or crackers, and he was able to drink water for the most part.

He was almost constantly coughing and had to carry around packets of tissues to catch the blood that always came with the coughing spells. He was so weak that just carrying the suitcases from the various rooms tired him out. He had tried his best to keep a brave face for them, but it had become impossible. He had not even been able to help on cases for a month. He spent his time in the hotel rooms doing research and most times falling asleep at the laptop. It was obvious that Judith was missing her father, but Sam could not handle playing with her, and she had had to stay with Dean and Oshea as she often woke during the night.

Their lives were falling apart, and there was nothing any of them could do about it.

The sun had already started to set by the time they had all settled into their separate rooms. Ella's long dark hair was messily braided and pulled into loose pigtails that fell upon each of her shoulders. She was wearing an unzipped leather jacket over a shirt that she had borrowed from Oshea, and worn out jeans with several holes in them. Her eyes were bloodshot and lined with a thick layer of dark makeup. She was extremely tired; she had taken the last shift of driving which lasted almost half the day as they made their way to Kansas. She had just finished unpacking some of their clothes and put them in separate drawers inside the dresser. She glanced over to the bed and sighed. They couldn't have been there more than a half hour, and Sam was already fast asleep, huddled beneath the covers. She couldn't believe how quickly he had gone downhill. Months before, they were laughing, kissing, taking care of their daughter and thinking they had plenty of time to reverse the sickness Sam had been infected with and go on with their lives. But months passed, and they were almost out of time. She could barely look at him anymore. When she did, she was filled with dread, because she knew he would only get worse. She was filled with guilt, because she had promised herself that they would find a cure before things got this bad. And mostly, she was terrified. Terrified of losing Sam, and terrified of raising their child without him. Ella missed her husband, and he wasn't even dead yet.

She walked over to the edge of Sam's bed, leaning down to kiss his forehead She let her lips linger there a moment before she forced herself to pull away. She sighed, turning from the bed and grabbing a change of clothes from the drawer and her toothbrush. She flipped off the light as she quietly stepped out of the room and walked across the hall, knocking lightly on the door.

Oshea glanced up toward the door as she laid Judith down in the crib. She straightened and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, walking over to the door and opening it. "Ella?" She frowned a little glancing at the clothes draped over her arm and the toothbrush. "Are you okay...?"

"I'm fine," She nodded quickly. "I just wanted to come see Jude.. and.. well.. Do you.. do you think I could sleep in here with you guys... like, on the couch? Just for tonight."

Oshea stepped back from the door to let her in then closed the door behind her. "Sure thing, I'll get you a blanket." She walked over to one of the closets and pulled out a blanket, going over to the couch and dropping it onto the cushion. She then walked to the bed and pulled a pillow from her side, laying it down on one end of the couch. "There you go..." She paused a moment. "Ella... do you... I mean... you know if you need to talk, I'm here..."

"Don't go all chick flick on me, sis, I'm fine," She said, forcing a smile, which quickly faded. "Well, no, I'm not.. but I don't wanna talk about it," She looked over Oshea's shoulder at Dean, who was sitting on the bed sipping at a beer. "You don't mind if I crash here tonight, do you?"

Dean glanced up from the laptop's screen across from him and shook his head "No, of course not. It's fine."

"Thanks," She nodded and quickly walked past them into the bathroom. As the door closed behind her, Dean sighed and closed the laptop, sitting it on the table next to the beer bottle.

"She'll talk when she's ready to," He looked up at Oshea and tried to assure her. "Let's just hope Missouri can help us."


	86. In Walks The Night

Oshea had been staring up at the ceiling for hours, unable to sleep. She looked over to the couch were her sister was sleeping huddled beneath one of their blankets. Judith was resting in the crib that sat at one end of the couch, and beside her, Oshea could hear the even and steady breathing that meant Dean had finally fallen asleep .She turned over, facing his back and stroked his arm, leaning forward to kiss the back of his neck and rest her head against his shoulder a moment. With a little sigh, she stood up from the bed and padded to the door. She grabbed one of the keys and some change before she stepped into the hallway, closing the door softly behind herself. Through the door to Sam and Ella's room, she could hear Sam dry heaving, and shiver raced up her spine.

Quickly, she walked down the hallway in only her short pajama shorts and a tank. Rubbing her arms, she moved to the vending machines at the end of the hall, which were softly humming. She pushed a few coins into the slot and crouched to retrieve her soda. Straightening, she glanced back down the hall, not wanting to go back to the room and sit up alone. She decided to take a walk and went back to the hotel room, grabbing some cash before leaving the hotel.

Jo's Diner was just a few blocks away and was open twenty four hours; she could go there and get something to eat, maybe even bring back breakfast for the others. Maybe some pie would cheer Dean up a little, though she doubted it. This Missouri woman that they had come to Lawrence to see, she was their last hope, and if she couldn't help Sam…

Oshea pushed the thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to think about Sam dying and what that was going to do to her sister and Dean. When Sam died, she was going to be the one picking up the pieces. She wasn't sure that she could handle that. She wasn't sure that she could keep up appearances while she was still mourning the loss of Thatcher. She wandered where he was, if he was happy with his grandmother, if he missed her at all. She wandered if his grandmother knew that he liked for someone to wake him up in the mornings instead of waking up on his own because he "never knew if he was really awake or dreaming" otherwise. Or if she knew that he loved cheeseburgers, that he loved classic rock just like Dean, that he sometimes had nightmares about the vampires that had torn his family apart. His grandmother wouldn't understand. Dean had tried to reassure her that he would be fine with the elder woman, and she had seemed nice enough, but that could not erase the nagging feeling that Oshea had that said that something was wrong. It didn't matter than Sam had slipped holy water into the drink they had given her while they were waiting for Oshea and Dean to come back to the hotel with Thatcher, it didn't matter that her only vice seemed to be occasional smoking, that she obviously had no taste for blood and furthermore seemed very squeamish over it when Sam 'accidentally' cut his finger while slicing a lemon for her water. Sam and Ella had tested her every way they could get away with, and she seemed to be nothing more than a normal grandmotherly woman.

Oshea's bare feet slapped against the sidewalk as she moved closer toward the diner. She was nearly there when she stepped on something warm and slippery. Glancing down, she saw a strange clear gelatinous substance gathered around her bare foot. Lifting her foot, she gave it a little shake, trying to get the substance off of her. It was then that the thing began to spread up her leg. Oshea's eyes widened and she scraped her other foot against her leg, but that only caused a piece of whatever it was to spread up her other foot. Her skin began to burn and tingle, and the substance spread up her hips beneath her shorts. She turned and tried to run back to the hotel, but her now numb legs caused her to stumble and collapse hard to the sidewalk. The substance race up her stomach and covered her hands and wrists when she tried to claw it off. Every part of her body that it touched burned and tingled before falling numb and heavy. The substance flattened against her skin so that she could no longer see it.

It was up to her neck, and she could no longer move her body. It ran over her cheeks and surged through her mouth as it opened into a scream. The cry was silenced as the substance poured over her tongue and lips. It slid into her nostrils and over her nose then slipped through her ears and dripped onto her hair. A tear ran down Oshea's face as a terrible pain shot through her head and the substance slid over her eyelids, forcing them to tightly close.


	87. Sorrow Is A Woman

Oshea jerked awake and shivered, running her fingers over her body, but whatever had been on her before was gone. She flexed her fingers and looked herself over. She seemed fine and her body was no longer numb. The sun had already risen, and Oshea cursed. She stood up and brushed herself off, turning and running down the sidewalk to the motel. She slowed down when she reached it and pushed her hands into her pockets, frowning when she could not find the key to the room. Sighing, she lifted a hand to knock on the door. Her hand stopped just before she hit the door when she saw something through the window. Strangely enough, all of the rooms in the hotel had a rectangular window by the door with curtains. As if anyone really wanted to look out across the hall. Oshea stepped over to the window and peered inside. Her eyes grew wide and a scream tore through her throat as she saw a woman that looked just like her curled up next to Dean in bed.

"Hello, Oshea," A voice said from behind her in the hall. The woman had shoulder length dark hair and wore jeans and a plain black t-shirt underneath a jacket.

Oshea jumped a little at the voice and turned around quickly. She had been staring slack- jawed at the other Oshea through the window and had not even noticed Sam walk by her into the room with the dark haired woman trailing behind him. She swallowed a little. "Who... who are you?"

"My name is Tessa. I'm a reaper," She said with a sad smile. "I'm here to watch after your brother-in-law until he passes."

Oshea's eyes widened and she glanced back into the window where Sam had settled down on the couch with Ella, coughing into his hand. She looked back to Tessa. "If you're a reaper... then why can I see you?"

"You're no longer inside your own body... Though, by now I assume you have figured that out," She nodded towards the bed in which the other Oshea was laying. "You've become a spirit because a doppelganger has inhabited your body. It's feeding off of you to survive, and it's only a matter of time until you die. I'm sorry.. I know this must be difficult to hear."

"You think!" Oshea took a step back, shaking her head. "I... I can't be a spirit... I can't be dying... I...," She glanced back briefly at her body that was snuggling closer to Dean. She felt a little sick. "I don't want to die... I've already died twice, I don't want to do it again!"

"I know," Tessa said with a nod. "I know this is a lot for you to grasp, but this is happening, so you need to accept it, because you don't have much time left. Another reaper will come for you when it's time."

"What's going to happen to me?" Oshea whispered, curling her arms around herself.

"That's the million dollar question, isn't it?" She said with a sad smile. "I don't know. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. What happens will happen, Oshea. You can't fight it," Tessa shook her head.

"Oh yes I can," Oshea said stubbornly. "There has to be a way to kill it, and I'm going to figure it out. I'm not going back to Hell." That was the only logical conclusion. There was no way that she was getting back into Heaven after the things that she had done. She wasn't sure how she had made it the first time quite frankly.

"Of course. I knew you would say that... and I understand. But you only have a couple of days, three days at the most, and then the creature will have completely eaten away at your existence, and your time here will also cease to exist. So if I were you, I'd be very quick about it." She nodded seriously and then in the blink of an eye, she had disappeared from the hallway.


	88. Ghost In The Shower

Dean was awakened by a soft kiss against his lips and found Oshea's face directly in front of him. She smiled sweetly. "Good morning, sleepyhead." She straightened and walked into the small kitchen. "I hope you're hungry! I made you an apple pie."

Dean arched a brow and sat up slowly as he watched her. "Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?"

She chuckled and shook her head, walking back over to him and sitting down on the side of the bed. "It's me, silly. Who else would it be?" She lifted a hand and touched his face. "I know I've been a little distant... but...," Her smile faded a little as she glanced over toward the couch where Sam and Ella were before looking back to Dean. "I've just realized that life is too short... I don't want to waste a single moment of it dwelling on the past." She leaned forward, resting her other hand on his chest as she gave him a deep kiss on the lips. After a moment, she pulled away and smiled, standing again. "So. You hungry?"

"Uh... sure. Yeah, starving, actually," He said with a nod, the suspicious expression quickly fading from his face. "I thought you couldn't cook? Ella said back in Scotland once you almost burned the house down trying to cook, and you were never allowed near the stove again," He said with a smirk.

The tantalizing scent of the pie wafted through the room as the knife cut through the crust easily. She hummed a little, delicately placing the piece of pie onto a plate and laying a fork down beside of it. Turning back toward him, she pressed her finger into her mouth, sucking a little piece of apple from the tip of her finger. She pulled it from her lips slowly and lit it's tip trail over her lower lip as she walked toward him. "Oh, I have my moments." She said as she sat down on the edge of the bed and handed over the plate. She lifted a hand and stroked Dean's cheek before looking over to the couch where Sam was sitting on the couch, holding Ella. Both were covered in the thick blanket. "Sam, I forgot. I have something for you too." She stood up and walked over to the fridge, pulling from it a Styrofoam cup. "I didn't think about this until this morning. I used to have this when I wasn't feeling well." She walked over and offered it to him. He lifted his head from Ella's shoulder weakly and took the cup.

"What is it?"

"It's just crushed ice, but it might feel good on your throat."

He nodded and took a little sip from the straw, closing his eyes as he swallowed. "Mm… that does feel pretty good… thanks."

Dean took a bite and chewed slowly. "Well," He said as he swallowed. "I have to hand it to you, Miss Blackwood... apparently you can cook."

Oshea walked back over to him and grinned. "You see? You shouldn't have doubted me." She passed by the bed and moved into the tiny kitchen, cleaning up a few dishes. "By the way, I called Missouri to let her know that we were coming. I don't know what you were so nervous about, Dean, she seems perfectly nice to me."

Sam smirked a little, "Because every time we go to see her, he gets in trouble."

Dean shook his head. "She's mean!"

Ella pretended to look shocked. "Mean? To you? But you're always so delightful!" She smirked.

Dean returned the smirk for a moment before rolling his eyes and returning his attention back to the apple pie. Oshea laughed and dried off her hands before sitting down on the bed behind of Dean. She curled her arms around his middle and leaned her head over his shoulder, pressing her lips to the back of his jaw then down his neck.

"It's okay. I like bad boys," She whispered into his ear with a little smirk.

Sam stood up slowly from the couch, having to hold onto it a moment until the dizziness passed. "We should go now…," He said quietly. "Before it gets too late in the day." He didn't have to add that he rarely made it through the afternoon without falling asleep.

Ella pushed the covers off her and stood up from the couch, touching Sam's arm and glancing over at Oshea with an arched brow. "Geez, get a room," She said before walking with Sam back to theirs to get ready.

"Hey, this _is_ our room," Oshea said with a laugh as her sibling and brother-in-law departed the room. Once they were gone, she slid her hands beneath Dean's shirt and ran her hands up his bare back. She leaned forward and kissed the back of his neck.

As soon as Ella and Sam opened the door and stepped through, the real Oshea slid through. She knew that as a spirit, she should be able to go _through_ the door, but that thought just gave her the shivers. She didn't want to think about the fact that in three short days, she was going to be dead. Her eyes widened as she saw the doppelganger slid its- her- hands over Dean and kissed him. The creature stood and walked away, giving a tinkling laugh. "I'm going to take a shower, do you want to join me?" She asked, pressing herself against the frame of the door.

Oshea's eyes widened and she clenched her fists. "Oh you _slut."_ She hissed before going to Dean. She knelt down in front of him and waved her hand in front of his face. Swallowing, she bit her lip and concentrated as hard as she could. "Come on, Dean… that's not me…" Dean gave no sign of seeing her, but she did notice that his breath was very faintly visible.

Dean glanced down at the unfinished pie on his plate and then to Oshea's doppelganger, and then back to his pie. He sighed and opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly felt a cold breeze move past his face, and a small visible fog of breath gathering near his mouth. "Whoa... do you feel that?"

The doppelganger frowned a little and straightened. "Feel what?"

Oshea's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh... I'm a spirit, duh! I'll just haunt the crap out of everyone." As soon as the thought went through her mind, a broad smile spread across her lips. "I'll be back Dean." She ran a hand up his back to the back of his neck. She moved to the door and chewed on her lip a moment then pushed herself through the door.

When she was in the hallway, she shivered and rubbed her arms. "Okay... that felt weird. One more time..." She eased herself through the door of Ella and Sam's room. It was a easier the second time, but still felt completely unnatural Sam moved around the bed and stepped through her on his way to their duffel bags. Oshea gasped and staggered, feeling sick. She placed a hand against her stomach. "That was even weirder..."

Sam frowned and glanced back at the spot where he had just walked, seeing his breath escape in a little fog. "Ella..."

Oshea moved to the bathroom and slipped inside. The door had been left open in case Sam needed something, so she had not had to force herself through any other solid objects. Moving to the shower curtain, she concentrated on it, but it only moved a little. Sighing, Oshea crossed her arms over her chest then stepped into the back of the tub. She smirked a little and took in a deep breath before concentrating all of her energy into a sharp piercing scream.

Ella screamed, and blindly grabbed the shower curtain, bringing it down with her as she slipped over the edge of the tub. She hit the floor with a thud, the curtain falling over her in a heap on the floor. Water sprayed freely from the showerhead as she scrambled to her feet, running from the bathroom. "Ghost! There's a ghost in the shower! This place is freaking haunted!"

"Ella?" Sam rushed toward the bathroom, blinking in surprise as she ran into him, dripping wet. He pressed his lips together trying to choke back the laughter. "Are... are you hurt? You okay?" He asked her, the barest hint of a smile beginning to turn up the corners of his mouth.

"This isn't funny!" She grabbed up the shower curtain and wrapped it around her. "There was a ghost in the shower! A ghost in the shower!"

Sam grinned and stroked back her wet hair. "Alright, alright. I thought I felt a cold spot by the bed." He kissed her forehead and snickered as he walked into the bathroom. "Well... it doesn't look like there is anything here now... come on, let's get you dried off so we can go see Missouri... we can talk to Dean about the cold spots and screaming on the way."

Oshea stepped from the bathroom, laughing as she pointed at Ella. "Payback's a bitch, huh, sis?" She said with a grin. After shedding the shower curtain and putting on some clothes, they departed from the motel room and met Oshea, Dean, and Judith out in the hall.


	89. Who Will You Run To?

The doppelganger was frowning a little as she held a squirming Judith in her arms. The little girl was whimpering as she pushed against the creature, trying to get away from her. "I don't know what's wrong," She said as Ella and Sam stepped out into the hall. Sam frowned and took the baby, holding her gently.

"Hey, it's okay..." He said quietly. "Dean, we might have stumbled onto a case. I think this hotel might be haunted. There were screams coming from our bathroom and cold spots in the room."

"I think you're right. There were cold spots in our room too," Dean nodded.

"If you want, I can stay behind with Jude, do some research on this place. As much as I don't want another run in this this ghosty, it doesn't make much sense for us all to go to Missouri's while there's something spooky going on here," Ella said, taking her daughter from Sam's arms as she looked up at him.

"Alright, just be careful." Sam said with a nod. "Call us if you need anything, and we'll let you know when we find something out from Missouri."

Ella smiled and nodded. "Good luck," She stood on her tip-toes for a moment and kissed him on the cheek, returning to the room with her daughter.

_xx_

Oshea decided to follow Dean, Sam and the doppelganger to Missouri's. She climbed into the back of the car with Sam and spent the ride glaring up front at her double, who would not keep her hands to herself. When they arrived, she climbed out after Sam and noticed for the first time that her hands were becoming transparent. Looking down at herself, she grew more worried, seeing that her feet were so faint she almost could not see them. What was it the reaper had said? The doppelganger was feeding on her and it wouldn't be long before it killed her. The doppelganger paused by the car and looked right at Oshea as Sam and Dean walked toward the home. "Soon, you'll disappear altogether..." It whispered to her before following the brothers into the house. Oshea stiffened and narrowed her eyes, following the small group inside.

"Just on time," The dark skinned woman greeted them with a smile as she stepped out from the hallway and walked towards them. She frowned a little as she looked over Sam. "Well, come on you all, sit down," She gestured towards the couch on the living room as she closed the door behind them.

Sam smiled a little, "Hey, Missouri." He coughed into his hand. The doppelganger stepped in, her arm hooked through Dean's. She smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you, Missouri. Dean's told me about you." Oshea crossed her arms over her chest as she stepped inside.

Missouri stepped into the living room after them and sat down in the arm chair. "Huh. He has, has he?" She smirked a little and then snapped her head in Dean's direction. "Don't even think about it, boy."

"I wasn't gonna do anything!"

Oshea smiled a little as she looked from the psychic to Dean. "Yeah, I like her." she said. "I wonder if she knows that I'm here." The doppelganger sat down beside of Dean, still holding onto his arm. Sam sat down on the other side of his brother, smirking. He looked back to Missouri and his smile faded.

"Missouri... I guess you already know why we're here.."

She sighed and nodded. "I do," She glanced down at the wedding band on his finger and smiled a little. "And how is the lucky lady and little Judith? You should have brought them along."

"They're doing good. Ella stayed back at the hotel with Jude. I'll bring them to see you before we leave." He said with a tiny smile.

"I'm looking forward to it," She said with a nod. "Well, let's see if we can get you better, shall we?"

Oshea was pacing in the room as Missouri took Sam's hands in hers and the group fell quiet. The doppelganger was discreetly watching her, a little smirk turning up the corner of her mouth. Oshea glared back and stuck out her tongue. She didn't know what she was going to do. There had to be someway to kill this thing, but she went through things. How was she going to be able to look through any books or use a computer? She'd figure something out... she had to.

"If looks could kill, I think you'd actually be able to take care of this doppelganger situation by yourself," A voice said from behind Oshea. The man smirked. He was handsome, wearing a dark suit and his light brown hair was slicked back.

Oshea turned around quickly and stared at him, taking a step back. "Who are you...? You know... you kind of look like that guy. The guy who froze to death in that god-awful boat movie..."

The man chuckled, taking a step forward. "I get that a lot."

"So... since you can see me and no one else can see you, I'm guessing that you are some kind of spirit? Or...," Her eyes widened a little and she shook her head. "No... ohhh no. I don't care how good looking you are, I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm not dying again."

"Fine, you can stay here, haunting your loved ones until they finally keel over, and you have no one else to stick around for. How does that sound?" He paused. "Or, you can come with me. Who knows... maybe you'll end up returning to Heaven... see your family, and the child that you should have had."

Oshea had turned away and was walking toward Dean to try to get his attention when the man's words stopped her cold. She stiffened and slowly looked back to him. "What did you say?"

"You heard me, darling," The man replied. "I don't see why you're so desperate to stay here."

Oshea stared at the man, her lips faintly parted. She had not even considered the fact that she might be allowed back into Heaven, that she would be able to see her child. She looked back to Dean and Sam, curling her arms around herself. "But... what about Dean?" She whispered.

"Oh Dean'll be fine... well, most likely not. His brother is dying, you're dying... his life is pretty much falling apart," He said, shrugging. "But the only choice you have is to stay here, unable to do anything, or go with me."

Oshea looked down at her hands, which were growing more and more faint. She rubbed her arms and moved to him. "Okay...," She said quietly, keeping her eyes down. "I'll... I'll go with you..."

The reaper smiled a little. "That's what I figured. I'll be back when it's time," He said, before disappearing completely from view.

Oshea took in a deep breath and released it as the reaper disappeared. She looked back to Dean. She walked over to him and touched his cheek, ignoring the doppelganger's glare as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. "I love you, Dean..." She pulled back and stepped away. "I guess I'd better go say goodbye to Ella..." She murmured to herself before slipping from the house.


	90. Heavy Heart

Dean shivered a bit and looked around. He quickly rose from the couch as the door opened and Sam and Missouri stepped out. The doppelganger remained seated, glaring as Oshea's spirit vanished through the psychic's door. She smiled a little, but immediately pushed the smile away as Sam stepped into the room. His shoulders were a bit slumped and he looked defeated. Missouri shook her head as she looked at Dean, who had opened his mouth to say something. "I'm really sorry, Sam," She sighed.

Sam nodded, "It's fine, Missouri. We knew it was a long shot." He looked back at her and forced a little smile. "I'll be sure to bring Ella and Jude by before we go.."

The frown remained on her face for a moment, but she nodded and then smiled a little. "You better," She looked over at the doppelganger and the frown returned as she looked her over. "I didn't notice it before.. but... you're not Oshea."

Sam's brows furrowed and he frowned, looking over to the doppelganger who was rubbing Dean's arm. The Oshea look-a-like tilted her head a little and looked from Dean to Missouri. "Yes, I am.. "

Dean arched a brow and glanced down at the doppelganger and then back to Missouri. "What are you talking about?"

Missouri shook her head quickly. "No.. no, this may be your girlfriend's body, but the thing on the inside isn't her."

"There's gotta be a mistake. I mean, of course she's her," Dean said, his brows furrowing.

"I don't know what you mean, Missouri," The doppelganger said slowly. "I'm Oshea."

Sam looked from Oshea to Missouri, "We haven't been anywhere except here and she was with Dean all night, Missouri... if something had happened, he would have known, right, Dean?"

"Uh... right," Dean hesitated a moment and nodded, not taking his eyes off of Oshea's look-a-like for several moments.

Sam was staring at the doppelganger as well. The creature shook her head, looking between the both of them. "I don't believe this... look if you want to run the usual tests, go right ahead. Salt, silver, holy water... I'm me..."

Dean stared at her for a moment before blinking and shaking his head. "No, it's fine. I guess you made a mistake, Missouri."

Her eyes widened a little. "Boy don't you go talking to me like I don't know what I'm doing! I'll-"

"We'd better go," Dean said quickly and pulled the Oshea look-a-like out the front door with him.

_xx_

When they arrived at the hotel and stepped from the car, Sam rounded the front of the vehicle and pulled Dean to the side as the doppelganger started toward the room. "Dean... can I talk to you? Privately..?"

Dean nodded, glancing for a moment over at the doppelganger as she disappeared into the building. He looked back to his brother and sighed.

"Dean," Sam said slowly as he released his brother. "I need you to do something for me, and I want you to hear me out before you just say 'no.' Missouri was our last shot... after the pagan god said I couldn't be healed and the angels said I couldn't be healed... I was ready to give up, but I held out a little hope that maybe we'd missed something, that maybe Missouri could fix this. But she can't, and I know that I'm going to die. I never wanted it to get to this point... I didn't want Ella to have to see me this way, but I waited and hoped and prayed..." He sighed. "I'm tired, Dean... I'm tired of running all over creation to try to find something that doesn't just exist. I just want it to be over... I want you to end it, Dean."

Dean's brows furrowed and he leaned back against the car. "What are you talking about, Sam...?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Dean." Sam said slowly. "I want you to kill me. I don't want to be like this anymore. I can't do anything... I can't hunt... my wife can barely look at me... I'm in pain and I just want it to be over."

"You... you've gotta be kidding me, Sam. You can't ask me to do that," Dean shook his head.

"I can and I am..., please, Dean. I'm not sure I can do it myself or I wouldn't have asked you," He said slowly.

""No, Sam... just.. no! Do you really want to do this to me? To your wife, your daughter? You're not just gonna give up like that, I won't let you. This conversation is over," He said, shaking his head quickly and starting to walk away.

"Dean, I'm going to die anyway!" He shouted. He grimaced and coughed roughly into his hand. When he had regained his composure, he sighed. "We've tried everything, Dean... there comes a time when you just have to face the facts..."

"I don't care, Sam. You don't think this is hard on all of us? Because it is. You're dying... and I can't do anything to fix it. Ella feels the same way. You're suffering, and it's only getting worse, and we can't help... but we are not doing this, Sam."

Sam leaned back against the car and stared at the ground. "I don't want to die, Dean." he whispered after a moment. "I haven't even been married a year... my daughter isn't even a year old. I'm going to miss everything..."

Dean's eyes seemed to be glued to the pavement as well. He wasn't sure what to say, because there was nothing to say. There was nothing to make this better, he knew that. He cleared his throat after a moment and straightened. "We should go inside, see what Ella came up with about this place..."

Sam straightened and nodded. "Yeah. As amusing as it was to me, I don't think Ella wants to be scared out of the shower again anytime soon." He said with a little smile.


	91. Comin' Under Fire

"Sam. Dean?" Castiel appeared in the hotel room Oshea and Dean shared with a soft fluttering of wings, frowning slightly when he didn't see the brothers in the room. He stepped toward the bed, his frown deepening as he saw Oshea sitting on the end of it. Her feet had almost completely vanished and he could see the pattern of the comforter through her legs. "Oshea, what happened?"

She looked up at him slowly. "Hi, Cas… I um… I got attacked by a doppelganger and… well…" She lifted her arms and let them fall to her sides. The angel knelt down in front of her.

"Don't worry, I can help you. Has your reaper come for you yet?"

She nodded slowly, and Castiel stood straight again. "Don't go with them. You don't have to die."

"But, Cas…," She said as he started to turn away. "What if…" She paused and lowered her eyes. "What if this is for the best? The reaper said I could go to Heaven… I could be with my baby…"

"Did the reaper happen to mention how Dean would handle this?" Castiel said with a small frown.

Oshea lowered her eyes a little guiltily and picked at one of her nails. Castiel turned completely to face her. "Oshea, there are many things about humans that I do not understand. But love is one thing that I understand fully. If you go now and Sam dies, who is going to take care of your sister and Dean? Do you really think that they could survive losing both of you? Your baby is well taken care of… she will be there when your time comes."

Oshea looked up. "She…? It was a girl?"

Castiel nodded. Oshea released a sigh and wrung her hands together. "But the doppelganger… no one's even noticed that she isn't me… she's a better cook… what if she's a better me than I am, Castiel?"

"I do not think that others love you for being perfect. They love you for being you."

Oshea chuckled and stood up, walking to the angel and throwing her arms around him. "Oh, Cas, you're so sweet."

The angel blinked in surprise and awkwardly patted her back before pulling away gently. "Stay here, and do not go anywhere with the reaper. I will-" He stopped suddenly as a bright engulfed him and forced him away. When he vanished, Oshea's eyes widened.

"Castiel?"

Her gaze fell on the doppelganger who stood just inside of the door, pressing a bleeding hand to a symbol quickly scrawled on the back of the door.

"Why are you doing this?" Oshea snapped as the doppelganger moved to one of the duffel bags and pulled out a marker. The creature tore the cap off with her teeth and began to draw Enochian sigils on the walls and doors.

"Because I have to survive, and it's just plain fun. You creatures have such interesting lives." When she had finished, she capped the marker and tossed it back into the bag. "I'm going to sap out every bit of life that you have and then I'm going to leave your empty shell here and move on to the next person. Enjoy your last hours on earth." She said before departing the room.


	92. Payback

When they went upstairs to the room Ella and Sam were sharing, the doppelganger was already there, talking with Ella. Enochian sigils were scrawled over the walls. Seeing the questioning looks on the brothers, the doppelganger stood. "Saraqueal appeared looking for Judith... he's gone now, but we wanted to be sure none of them could come back."

Ella was sitting on the bed, legs crossed in front of her as Judith sat on her lap. Ella nodded. "Yeah, he apparently showed up in Oshea's room just as you guys got here." She sighed and glanced up at Sam for a moment and lowered her eyes. If Missouri had given them any good news, they would have told her by now, so she knew that their situation hadn't changed at all.

Sam walked over to Ella and sat down beside of her, curling an arm around her shoulders and leaning his head against hers. "Did you find out anything about the hotel?" He asked, wanting to keep the subject off of him and his failing health.

Ella cleared her throat and shook her head. "No. Nothing at all. Nothing even remotely bad has happened here, ever. It doesn't make any sense."

"I've never heard of a spirit being somewhere where nothing bad happened..." Sam said, looking up at Dean. "Have you?" The doppelganger rose from the bed. "That is strange... I think I might go look at the library and see if I can find any old records."

"Sounds good, I'll go with you," Dean said with a nod.

"No!" She said quickly. She cleared her throat. "No, that's alright. The others need you here with the spirits and angels around. I won't be long." She leaned up and kissed him before quickly moving from the room.

After she had left, Sam looked between Ella and Dean. "Am I the only one who is noticing how weird she's been acting?"

"You're definitely not the only one..." Dean said, shaking his head. "And with what happened at Missouri's..."

"Wait, what happened?" Ella frowned.

"When Missouri finished with my reading, she came into the living room where Dean and Oshea were waiting and... she said that it wasn't Oshea. That it might have been her body, but the thing inside wasn't her."

"That's... weird. What, did she mean she's possessed or something?"

"She's not possessed. I checked," Sam said. He looked up at Dean and shrugged a little. "When we stopped at the gas station on the way back, I put some holy water in her drink. Nothing."

Ella shook her head. "We need to go see Missouri later... just us. Figure out what the heck is going on."

Oshea sighed. "I'll tell you what is going on!" She said, growing frustrated. "I'M A FREAKING SPIRIT! A SPIRIT! I'm DYING! That thing walking around is NOT ME! NOT ME!" The glass in the window of the room suddenly shattered, and Oshea's eyes widened. "Did I do that?"

The four of them, including Judith, turned to look at the window with wide eyes. "Call it wishful thinking... really weird wishful thinking, but... maybe that was just Jude?" Ella said.

Sam stared at the broken window. "I don't think that was Jude..." He murmured, his breath escaping in a cloud.

Oshea took a deep breath. "I have to show myself." She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. "Come... just for a minute... just let them see me."

Sam straightened and nodded toward the other end of the room. "Dean, look." A very faint form was flickering by the wall.

Dean turned to look and his eyes widened a little. "Is that...?"

Oshea opened her eyes slowly. They seemed to be looking at her. "Dean! Dean, that thing... it's not me!" When she spoke, she lost her concentration and her form vanished again.

"What the-" Ella paused as she started to curse and glanced down at the child on her lap and corrected herself. "HECK was that?"

"It... looked like Oshea," Sam said slowly. "Could you make out what it said, Dean? I thought I heard your name."

Dean shook his head, tearing his eyes away from the spot where Oshea had been. "I just heard 'not me'... That couldn't have been Oshea, right? This is all too weird..."

Oshea nodded. "Yes! It's me. I'm me not that thing." She sighed heavily. "Okay... I have to.. ah." She moved to the duffel bag and grabbed one of the markers from inside. Tugging off the cap, she walked to the wall and began to write. DOPPELGANGER. She wasn't sure how long she would be able to keep her hand solid enough to write so she chose a one word explanation.

Ella glanced over at Sam but her attention was caught by sudden writing on the wall behind him. She stared at the word that had suddenly appeared on the wall. "Uh... Sam... Dean?"

Sam turned and looked at the wall, watching as the marker that had been floating collapsed to the floor. He stood up and walked over, feeling another cold spot by the word. "Doppelganger..."

"I'm starting to think Missouri was right..." Dean said, not taking his eyes off the wall.

"I've heard of doppelgangers. Supposedly it's a person that looks like you and if you both meet each other, one has to kill the other... " Sam said with a frown.

"You don't think that Oshea... that she's..." Ella's voice trailed off.

"It fits... the cold spots here, the glass breaking... it's Oshea...," Sam said quietly. "Her spirit..."

"The shower..." Ella's eyes widened. "I'm gonna kill her!"

"Wait... she's writing something else." Sam said, stepping back from the wall. "P... A... Y... B... A... C...K." He arched a brow and looked over to Ella. "Payback?"

Dean smirked. "Well you see-"

"Shut up Dean," Ella said quickly. "Okay so how do we fix this?"

Sam shook his head. "I don't know... I haven't done any extensive research on them. All I know is what I heard from legends. But they said nothing about the real person being made into a spirit..."

"Well first of all we need to get Oshea's body back here," Dean said.

"Yeah. Who knows what she could be doing," Ella agreed.

Sam's eyes widened. "Missouri..." He said quietly. "She tried to tell us about the doppelganger... if it sees her as a threat..."

"...Then she's going to take care of that threat," Dean continued with a nod, grabbing the car keys. "Come on, we'd better hurry."

Sam nodded, rushing after his brother, "Stay here, Ella. We'll be right back!"

"Of course!" She yelled after him. "Just leave me here with a baby and a ghost!"

"At least it's a friendly ghost! Like Casper!" Sam said, pausing briefly in the doorway before he bolted down the hall.


	93. Only After Dark

Sam stepped out of the car after the had arrived at Missouri's house. "Missouri!" He said, rushing toward the door.

The front door of the home was partly opened, and as Dean reached the home, he slowly pushed it open. "Missouri... are you here?"

Sam stepped in after his brother with a frown. The doppelganger froze, halfway to the door. There was blood covering the front of her shirt and sprinkled over her face. Dean's eyes widened a little, and he stepped forward, grabbing her by the arm. "What did you do to Missouri?"

The creature gasped and looked up at Dean with wide eyes. "Dean, I-I don't understand... I just found her... she's dead, something killed her..."

"Yeah, drop the act. We know what you are," Dean looked at Sam and nodded for him to go ahead.

Sam stepped up behind her and pulled his gun from the waistband of his pants. Her eyes widened. "You know if you kill me, she won't have a body to come back to!" Sam grabbed the barrel of the gun and swiped the handle of it against her head, sending her slumping toward the floor.

Missouri's body was laying face down in a puddle of blood that was starting to form around her. Dean frowned and shook his head, his stomach suddenly feeling sick. "Sam.. she's in here."

Sam walked into the room and stiffened. "Missouri..." He whispered. "I can't believe she's... what should we do, Dean?"

"Clean things up here, I guess," Dean said, shaking his head. "Head back to the motel with sleepy over there," He nodded over to the doppelganger's unconscious body. "And take down those sigils so we can call Cas."


	94. The Loser In The End

The doppelganger groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She looked down and furrowed her brows, seeing that her wrists and ankles were tied tightly to the posts of one of the hotel beds. She squirmed and tugged at the ropes. "Sam...Dean? What is going on here?"

Sam shook his head. "You can stop pretending, we know what you are. You're not Oshea."

"Doesn't matter," The doppelganger said. "The real Oshea will be gone in a few hours, and if you try to kill me, you'll just destroy her body.."

"Yeah, well, we thought about that," Dean said with a nod, stepping over to her. "It's a good thing we know an angel that'll be willing to help us out."

Castiel stepped to her and sat down on the side of the bed. He laid his hands against her temples. Her eyes widened and she screamed, writhing on the bed. Her screams suddenly died away as she began to gasp and cough. A pale, gelatinous substance began to peel away from Oshea's skin and seep from her ears and nostrils. Coughing roughly, Oshea's body lurched, her back arching off of the bed as she coughed up more of the substance until it gathered together on her chest. Oshea's body collapsed limply back to the bed and the creature shivered, crawling like a large slug from her body and down onto the floor. It tried to slither toward the door, but Sam pulled his gun and shot the creature. It's form splattered and wriggled a little before falling still. Castiel stood from the bed and walked to Oshea's spirit, pressing two fingers to her forehead.

Oshea's body jerked again, and she gasped in a breath, coughing softly. Her brows furrowed and she slowly opened her eyes. "Dean…?"

Dean stepped over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You with us?"

She nodded. "Yeah... boy, is it ever good to be back in my own body. Being a ghost is not as fun as it would seem." She looked at the ropes tying her to the bed and arched a brow. "You gonna untie me, Dean?"

Dean looked thoughtful a moment. When Oshea gave him a glare, he sighed. "I'm kidding, geez," He untied the ropes around her wrists and ankles and stood up from the bed and turned to Castiel. "Thanks, Cas."

Castiel nodded then vanished with a soft fluttering of wings. Oshea sat up on the bed and rubbed her wrists. "So... what now?" She whispered, frowning as she thought about Missouri and the reaper that was following Sam.

Ella sighed. "I donno about you, but I say we get the heck out of here."


	95. How Deep It Goes

A FEW WEEKS LATER...

SUMNER, NEBRASKA

Oshea pulled the Impala to a stop in front of the Tumbleweed Inn. She rubbed her eyes and leaned her temple against the steering wheel, looking over at Dean who was dozing in the front seat. The car was quiet; it had been a long and hard drive for all of them.

After Missouri's death, they had visited a few more psychics with no luck, even a faith healer had turned them away. They had set out again with the plan of taking a break at Bobby's, but things had quickly gotten worse. They had to stop repeatedly for Sam to expel large amounts of blood onto the sides of roads. He was in so much pain and so sick that they finally decided to stop at the next hotel.

It was a little passed one in the morning, Oshea had been driving for almost five hours. She stretched out a hand and touched Dean's shoulder, giving it a little shake. "Dean..., Dean... we're here..."

Dean's eyes opened and he straightened in the seat, yawning. He glanced back in the rearview mirror at Sam, who was leaning against the door, and Ella was starting to wake up, moving her head from Sam's shoulder as she stretched. "Where are we?"

"Nebraska...," Oshea said slowly, rubbing her eyes a little as she straightened. She stretched her arms over her head. She climbed out of the car. "I'll get the bags, Dean..." She said, walking around to the trunk of the car.

Dean glanced once more at Sam in the backseat before he got out of the car and started towards the building to pay for their rooms. He didn't know what he was going to do.

It took every bit of his self control not to break down and get into the Impala and drive to the nearest crossroads. He knew Ella was feeling the same way. He was losing his brother, his best friend, and she was losing her husband and being left to take care of Judith. He knew that he and Oshea would always be there for her to help, but it wouldn't be the same. Things would never be the same.

Ella had almost given up interest in their cases all together. All she cared about now was taking care of Jude and Sam.

Dean stepped from the building, two motel keys in hand. They could barely afford it, with all the gas they'd been having to put in the Impala for driving all over, and putting food in their mouths, but it only made sense for Ella, Sam, and Judith to have their own room. Though, most of the time, Oshea and Dean helped to take care of Jude. Dean sometimes didn't care for children too much, but since Judith was his niece, he didn't seem to mind so much.

"I think Sam needs some help," Oshea whispered as she took the keys from him. Ella and Sam's duffel bags and Judith's diaper bag were slung over one shoulder. The baby was cradled in her other arm against her chest, dozing.

Things had been bad for Dean and Ella, but they had not been very easy for Oshea either. Since the doppelganger incident, she had been determined to make things as easy as possible for Dean and Ella. She volunteered to watch over Judith during Sam's bad days when he needed Ella's undivided attention, she cooked meals for Dean and had actually started getting better at it. The last pie she had made was only burnt around the edges of the crust. She took the group's clothes to the launder-mats while everyone slept, she did a lot of driving now that Ella stayed in the back with Sam for most of the rides. She'd been doing research at all hours, had been helping Dean with the cases. She'd done all of the little necessary daily things so the others would not have to worry, but it was wearing her down, slowly but surely. She was exhausted, but she never said a word, just kept her smile on her face.

She moved away from the car, glancing back once of her shoulder toward her sister and brother-in-law. Sam was standing just outside of the Impala door, leaning one arm against the car. His shoulders were hunched a little, and he looked like he was about to pass out. "It's okay, Ella… go on with Oshea, I'll be there in a minute." He hated Ella to see him like this: so weak and in pain that he could barely get himself from the car to the hotel rooms without help. Ella hesitated, but nodded a little and walked to the building with Oshea, while Dean stayed behind a moment with Sam.

Sam sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes, waiting until Ella was gone before he spoke. "I can stand to let her see me like this." He whispered. "Dean... could I stay in your room with you this time? The girls could bunk together with Jude. I think it might be good for Ella."

Dean looked at him a moment and nodded. "Of course, Sammy, come on," He smiled and walked with him to the motel.

Sam slowly followed him to the room and immediately crawled into the bed. Oshea got the bags situated between the two rooms and gave Dean a kiss before disappearing into the room she and her sister would share. Sam turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling a moment before glancing to his brother's bed. "Dean... what is Hell like...?"

Dean had just gotten comfortable under the blanket with his eyes closed when Sam spoke. He sighed and turned off his side, laying on his back. "I wish that I could say that it's all lollipops and candy canes, Sam... but it's not.."

"I didn't think so," Sam whispered back. "I just... I'd like to know a little of what to expect you know?"

"Can we not talk about this, Sam?" Dean sighed. "It's hard enough for me to think about my time there, much less the fact you're going."

Sam looked at his brother a moment then nodded and turned onto his side. "I'm sorry, Dean. Goodnight..." Dean lay there for several minutes staring up at the ceiling until he heard the quiet breathing sounds signaling his brother was asleep.


	96. If Today Was Your Last Day

Sam opened his eyes slowly as the sun shown through the small opening between the curtains. He stretched his arms over his head, earning a satisfying crack of his back. Yawning, he turned onto his stomach, taking a few moments to enjoy the warmth of the sun shining onto the bed and the warm covers. While he laid there, his brows furrowed as he noticed that he was not hurting. His breathing was normal and his stomach was actually growling. He felt hungry. He took in a deep breath and released it, relishing the fact that he did not dissolve into coughs. Standing from the bed, he pushed back the curtains. It was a beautiful day outside, and Sam chuckled. He hadn't felt this good in months. He turned and grabbed the pillow off of his bed, throwing it at his brother. "Heads up, Dean!"

Dean jerked awake in surprise and rolled over suddenly, falling off the edge of the bed. "What the..." He muttered, looking up at Sam from the floor. "What was that for?"

Sam laughed as he walked over and looked down at his brother. "I don't know. I just feel really good this morning. And hungry. I'm starving. We should grab the girls and go get something really good to eat."

Dean arched a brow as he pulled himself up and looked Sam over a moment. "Yesterday you were puking on the side of the road, and today you're waking me up at," He paused as he looked down at the clock and his eyes widened a little. "Six in the morning. Wow..." He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Okay, fine, let me go take a shower. I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Sorry it's so early," Sam said with a smile. "I'm just tired of sleeping all day."

Sam watched his brother shuffle into the bathroom. After the door had closed, Sam let the smile slip away. He ran a hand throat his hair and released his breath in a little sigh. He didn't know exactly how he knew, but he knew that today was it. His time was up. He was going to make sure today was good for Dean and Ella no matter what. While Dean was getting ready, Sam slipped from the room and walked to the adjoining room where Oshea and Ella were sleeping. He moved to Ella's bed and sat down on the side of it. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers. "Ella, wake up..."

Ella reacted in almost the same way Dean had: she jerked awake, only she swung her arm as she turned over, hitting Sam lightly on the side of the head in one sudden movement. Her eyes widened. "Oh god, I'm sorry, Sam!" She had gotten used to waking up on her own the past few weeks, not having kisses planted on her as a wake up call.

Sam chuckled. "Good morning to you, too, Ells. I'm really hungry so Dean and I are going to find something really good to eat. You want to come with us?" He said with a bright smile.

Ella eyed him over carefully. "Um... Sam, honey, please don't take this the wrong way, but... are you on crack?" She chuckled a little but still gave him a weird look.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I'm just feeling really good today, and I'm finally hungry. I know it's early, but you'll come with us... right, Ella?"

"Yeah, yeah, you're lucky you're my husband. Anyone else would be laying across the room with a concussion," She kissed his cheek and dragged herself out of bed to get ready.


	97. It's A Beautiful Day

A few moments later, they were all up and dressed and sitting in a small diner. Oshea yawned, holding a still sleeping Judith against her chest and rubbing the little girls back. "I cannot believe that you're conscious this early, Dean." She said, looking at him with an arched brow. Sam was humming a little as he sipped at his coffee.

"Yeah, me too," He replied, with a tired nod. He looked over at Sam and arched a brow. "You're kinda freaking me out, Sam."

Sam ignored his brother, glancing over to Ella. "So, what should we do today? We don't have to worry about a case. We should do something fun."

"Fun? Wow, haven't heard us use that word in a while, unless the sentence started with 'this isn't,'" Ella replied with a smirk. "Uh... let's see... Ooh I saw a video store on the way here. We could rent some movies," She suggested, shrugging as she took a sip of tea.

Sam smiled and nodded. "We could! Get some popcorn and movie candy and have a movie day."

Oshea arched a brow and smiled a little. "I could go for some popcorn and candy."

"Okay fine," Dean nodded. "But no chick flicks or vampire movies."

"Oh come on, Dean, you know you want to watch that new teen vampire movie with what's his name." Oshea said with a little smirk.

Sam laughed and looked at his brother as the waitress brought their food orders to them. Sam looked down at his bacon, egg and cheese biscuit and picked it up, taking a big bite. "Mmm.. this is good."

Everyone stared at Sam for a moment, not quite used to Sam's new demeanor. Ella couldn't help but smile though; Sam was actually eating, and talking to them without making them all want to jump off a bridge. That was all that mattered.

The rest of breakfast was a little nerve wracking as everyone was waiting for Sam to not keep down his food like usual, for him to start coughing, for the smile to go away. But after a while, after Sam had gotten up and fed the jukebox to play an old classic rock song and danced in the empty diner with a very surprised Ella, everyone seemed to begin to actually enjoy themselves. Reaching the video store, Sam hummed a little as he walked through the aisles. "What kind of system are we going to rent?" He asked as he started to look at the various games lined up. They had decided on the ride over that instead of movies, they were going to rent a game system and play some games.

Ella's eyes widened and she jerked a game case off the shelf. "This. We're playing this," She said quickly.

"Grand Theft Auto?" Dean asked with an arched brow as he looked up his over excited sister-in-law.

"Yes! I used to play it all the time growing up," She nodded.

"At least get the newer version of it. No one plays the old type of Xbox anymore."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well excuse me, Mr. Fancy Pants. The old game systems are just as good as the new ones, if not better."

"What about this Resident Evil game?" Sam suggested as he picked up the case. Oshea arched a brow and shook her head, taking the case from him and putting it back onto the shelf.

"Absolutely not. That's like... our life. Oh my gosh! Super Mario Brothers!" She squealed as she scampered over to the shelf and pulled off the box. "Can we get a Wii, too? This is like one of my favorite games."

Sam shook his head. "What is it with you both and these old games?" He laughed a little. He was carrying Judith on his hip, and the little girl was quietly sucking her thumb while looking around curiously at all of the brightly colored displays and boxes.

"We just have awesome tastes, I guess," She replied with a shrug.

"Wait, what the hell is a Wii?" Dean asked suddenly, his brows furrowing.


	98. Another Hit And Run

There was a screech of tires and the sound of scream as Ella plowed down at woman standing on the side of the road. Sam's eyes widened. "You're so brutal!" He said in shock, watching the body fly over the car's hood. "That hooker didn't stand a chance!"

Oshea was sitting on the end of the bed beside of Dean, who was holding a bag of ice to his eye. When they had gotten back to the hotel after renting the gaming systems and games, they had tried out the Wii first. It turned out to be a bad idea when Oshea ended up hitting Dean with one of the controls. Oshea curled her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I hate Wiis," He mumbled quietly, wincing.

"Coulda told you something like that would happen. See, this is why Oshea shouldn't be allowed near the weapons," Ella said, not taking her eyes off the television as she drove over another innocent bystander.

Oshea tilted her head back a little. "Oh poor baby... how about some 'I'm sorry' sex later? Hm? Does that about cover it?" She asked, slipping a hand beneath his shirt to trail her fingers down his chest.

Sam grimaced. "Ella! That was a sweet old lady with a walker!"

"Dude, Oshea. My ears! We're right here. In the room!" Ella exclaimed, glancing back at them before returning her attention to the game. "So? It's supposed to be my fault the stupid old broad doesn't know how to look both ways before crossing the street?" She rolled her eyes.

The soft fluttering of wings was drowned out by the cries of the unfortunates who happened to get into Ella's way. Castiel opened his mouth to speak, but stopped, his brows furrowing as he walked up behind Ella and leaned over her shoulder, staring at the screen. "Why did you just drive a car into that woman with the baby stroller?"

Ella jumped in surprise, the controller nearly flinging out of her hand as Dean flinched a little.

"Jesus, Cas! Why do you always do that?" Ella sighed, sitting back down and shaking her head.

"Doesn't that hurt the little people?" He asked, staring intently at the screen as Ella's car careened into a hooker. "Was that a prostitute? Why are you running over prostitutes?"

"Because it's fun, and I need some money for a beach house," She replied.

Dean glanced up and looked over at her, moving the ice pack a moment. His eyes widened a little as he looked at the game, and he arched a brow. "You are never driving my car again."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. It's just a game, lighten up. Besides, I'd never kill a hooker in real life," She paused. "Well... unless she was an evil demon hooker... or just really ticked me off," She shrugged a little. Her character on the game got out of the vehicle and walked among the carnage, picking up green glowing and floating dollar bills.

Sam looked over at Ella and chuckled before turning back to the screen. "Oh, I love you, Ells." Castiel tilted his head, still looking lost. Sam glanced over at him and smirked a little. "Hey, Ells. Give Cas a go."

She arched a brow, looking over at Castiel before handing him the controller and getting up from her spot. "Sure, letting an angel play a massively violent video game... what's the worst that could happen?"

Castiel took the controller and stared at it a moment in confusion. After Sam explained to him the controls, the trench coat clad angel plopped down in front of the television. He drove the car on the game

slowly, being careful not to hit anything. "What is the point of this?"

"The point... I donno, Cas. Just have fun with it," Ella shrugged, grabbing a drink out of the mini fridge and sitting on the edge of the other bed.

Castiel straightened a little as his car accidentally overtook a man who had stepped out into the street. Sam nodded. "There you go, Cas. That wasn't so bad was it?"

The angel stared at the screen then suddenly pressed a button, sending the car screeching down the road. He plowed into a group of pedestrians waiting for the crossing single then tore through a hooker, sending her spinning over the top of the car. He pressed a combination of buttons, sending the car into a complicated set of turns and swerves that sent five of the virtual people into the air before sprawling in heaps onto the sidewalks and street.

The hood of the virtual car started smoking, followed by flames and a sudden explosion. Ella nearly choked on her drink as she laughed and looked at the screen. "Wow, good job, Cas. You just died."

"I don't feel dead." Castiel said, furrowing his brows a little.

"She means on the game," Dean said, rolling his eyes.

Ella stood up and took the controller from him. "I think you've had enough simulated violence for one day."

Castiel stood after handing her back the controller. Sam stood up and stretched his arms over his head a little. "So..., what should we do now?"

"Definitely no more video games," Dean said. "My face hurts."

"I think I saw a bar on our way back from the video store," Sam said with a smile. "We could go there, get a few drinks, play some pool or darts. It's been a long time since we've hustled people at pool."

Oshea smirked. "Remember the last time we played darts, Dean, and I kicked your butt?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "I let you win," He muttered.

"I'm in. I could use a drink... plus watching Dean get his butt kicked at anything by Oshea seems like it would be entertaining. Let's go," Ella smiled.


	99. Barney Stinson & Ted Mosby

When they arrived at the bar, Sam and Dean went off to play pool while Ella and Oshea moved to the bar and sat down, ordering drinks. A handsome blonde male wearing a neat black suit was sitting in one of the bar's booths across from a dark haired man. He took in the siblings as they sat down at the bar. "Ted, look, the first girls of the night. Come on, let's go. This is going to be legen...wait for it... dary. This time we actually ARE out of towners!"

Ella turned in the stool and glanced around a moment. She noticed the two men standing up from the booth, walking their way, and rolled her eyes, turning back to Oshea. "Don't look now but I think we're about to get hit on," She chuckled.

Oshea glanced over and smiled a little. "They aren't bad looking. Especially the blonde." She said, taking a sip of her drink. The blond slid over to Oshea.

"Excuse me, haaaave you met Ted?" He asked, pushing the dark haired male over to her. Oshea grinned a little, holding out her hand.

"Hi, Ted."

The blond smiled approvingly then looked to Ella and arched a brow. "Haaaave you met me?"

"Haaaave you met my husband? He's right over there," Ella smirked, holding up the hand that adorned her ring as she nodded her head in the direction of Sam.

"Oh, lighten up, Ells, he didn't ask you out, he was just being friendly." Oshea said, taking another long drink. "Like Ted here. He's an architect apparently."

The blonde nodded, taking the hand she was showing him and shaking it. "I'm Barney Stinson!"

"Uh huh," Ella arched a brow, shaking his hand and pulling away slowly. "I'm Ella."

Barney and Ted stayed with Ella and Oshea while Same and Dean continued cheating the men in the bar out of their money. Oshea downed the last of her third drink and laughed at something Ted said. Barney smiled a little. "So, what brings you here, Ella?"

"Her husband's dying," Oshea said, spinning a little in her chair.

Barney's brows lifted. "Oh? That's terrible. How long does he have?"

Oshea nodded and hiccuped a little. "Mhm... could be any day..."

Barney glanced toward Sam then back to Ella. "I'm terribly sorry to hear that." He said, furrowing his brows as he laid his hand over hers. "If you need someone to talk to during this terrible, terrible time... call me." He said, pulling out a card with his name and number and offering it to her.

Ella looked at him with a smirk and took the card. "Yeah, sure."

As Sam and Dean finished and started to walk toward the bar, Ted and Barney scurried away, talking with one another. Oshea turned around and leaned her back against the edge of the bar, waving. "Hey, Dean!" She said, giggling a little.

Sam watched Barney and Ted step through the door then looked to Ella. "What was that all about?"

"You're a bad influence, you know," Dean said to Ella. "Every time you and Oshea hang out you always find a way to get her drunk."

Ignoring Dean, Ella laughed out loud and held up Barney Stinson's card so Sam could see. "I still got it," She said with a smug smile.

"Got what, exactly?" Dean arched a brow.

"I donno... It!" She threw her arms up and sat the card down on the surface of the bar. "I mean, I'm married and I'm still having guys trying to hit on me."

Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Wait, Oshea, is it me or were those guys really familiar?" Ella said. Her brows furrowed as she turned to her intoxicated sibling.

"I'm not drunk," Oshea said, standing from the bar stool and swaying a little. "I'm perfectecally sober." She nodded.

Sam arched a brow and looked at the card before glancing to Ella. "Of course they'd hit on you, you're a very beautiful woman." He said with a little smile. "Come on, it's getting late, and I'm kind of worried about Castiel babysitting after seeing him play Grand Theft Auto."

Ella's eyes widened a little and she jumped from the seat. "Crap."


	100. Where Does Love Go When It Dies?

Fortunately when they arrived back at the hotel, Castiel and Judith were both in one piece. Sam smirked a little to Dean as Ella stepped into the room that he and his brother had been sharing. "Sorry, Dean, I'm going to need the room tonight." He said before closing the door.

Oshea giggled a little. "Oh, poor Dean, you were kicked out." She leaned her back against the door to her and Ella's room. "It's okay, tiger, you can bunk with me..."

"Fine by me," Dean smiled.

_xx_

"So today was a... good day," Ella said, pulling off her jacket and tossing it on the couch as she looked over at Sam with a smile. Sam smiled, walking to her and curling his arms around her waist. He kissed her cheek gently.

"I'm glad you had fun."

She nodded, smiling as she leaned her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "We should have days like this more often."

Sam's smile faded a little, but he quickly forced it back. "We will." He whispered despite the fact that he knew he didn't have much time left. It was like he could feel his life seeping out of him. It wouldn't be long now. He leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes.

"So," She said after a moment, opening her eyes. "What now? Oshea and Dean have Jude, she's fast asleep... you wanna rematch on the video games? Or we could just talk... You made this day pretty amazing so you get to pick," She smiled, turning around to face him.

Sam smiled at her, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek lightly. "I'm a little tired...," he whispered. "Maybe we can get into bed."

"Sounds even better," She smiled, standing up on her tip-toes to kiss him. He cupped a hand against her face as he returned the kiss. Lowering his arms he hooked them beneath her and lifted her from the floor. He carried her over to the bed and laid her down on her back before crawling onto the bed. He kissed her lips and brushed his fingers through her hair. She giggled a little as she was suddenly lifted off the ground and put on the bed. She kissed him back, smiling.

xx

The hotel room was quiet and dark with beams of pale moonlight pouring through the window. Sam pressed his lips to Ella's forehead, stroking back her hair as he held her. He felt exhausted, but in a good way after spending the day having fun then making love to his wife. "I love you, Ella...," He murmured, looking down at her.

She nodded slowly, staring at him. "I love you too."

His fingers continued to idly comb through her hair as she fell asleep. He studied her, trying to memorize all of her features. He swallowed hard. He could not believe that it was going to end like this. He was going to die and leave his young wife of little over a year and his daughter. He watched Ella the whole night, until his eyelids became so heavy that he could not keep them open any longer. He leaned his head against hers and finally allowed his eyes to close.

Small rays of sunlight spilled through the curtains and fell upon the bed in the motel room the next morning. Ella stirred a little, moving closer to the still sleeping Sam, smiling as she kissed his cheek. She yawned as she pulled the sheets off of herself and quickly reached down to pick Sam's shirt up off the floor. She hummed a little to herself as she pulled it on and buttoned it up, sitting back down on the bed next to her husband.

"Hey, sleepyhead. You gonna sleep all day?" Ella said with a smirk as she nudged Sam's arm. Her brows furrowed when he didn't move, or make any sign that he had heard her. "Sam? Sam.." She repeated, her voice shaking slightly as she stood up on her knees on the mattress and touched Sam's shoulders, shaking him. His face was pale, and he wasn't moving. She gasped, tears starting to slide down her face. "No... Sam, wake up. Please wake up... You can't do this..." She whispered, resting her face on Sam's chest a moment as she sobbed. "Sam!"

_**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reads this! This is the end of part two, What If This Storm Ends. Part three, Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be will be posted soon! **_


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